Masonry contractor in Lincoln, IL - brick and mortar work matched to older homes
Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Springfield, IL. In Lincoln we repoint old mortar, repair brick and chimneys, and build walls, walks and paver driveways for homes in and around the city.
Older brick homes and farm properties around Lincoln
Lincoln has a downtown of old brick storefronts, blocks of older brick and frame houses around it, and newer ranch homes toward the edges. Past the city limits it turns to farmhouses, outbuildings and acreage on county roads, and we work on all of it.
A lot of what we're called for here is older brick, chimneys and basement walls, the same work we do from our base in Springfield and over in Decatur. On those houses the age of the wall decides the job, from the mortar we mix to how much we take apart.
What to know before a masonry job in Lincoln
The first thing I sort out on a Lincoln job is which side of the city limits your house sits on, because that decides who you'd go to for a permit. The Logan County Zoning Office issues building permits for the unincorporated county and for villages without their own zoning ordinance, but homes inside Lincoln aren't part of that area, so for those we check with the city's Building and Safety Office. We make that call before we start and take care of the paperwork if your job needs a permit, and when it does, the start date waits on it. Ask anyone you hire whether they're licensed and insured. We are.
Lincoln sits right off the interstate north of Springfield, so getting our crew and a load of brick or block up here is no trouble, and farm properties out on the county roads are just as easy to reach. The price mostly comes down to how much has to come out or go in, how hard it is to reach and what's underneath it, and the schedule turns on the weather and any permit. The estimate gives you the number for your own job. We do the same work in Jacksonville and Taylorville, so not much about a Lincoln house surprises us.
Services in Lincoln, IL
Tuckpointing
Mortar on Lincoln's older brick homes turns soft and sandy after enough winters. We grind out the bad joints and repack them with mortar matched to your brick.
Chimney repair
Older Lincoln chimneys take the worst of the weather because they stand above the roof in the open. We rebuild cracked crowns and loose brick before water gets inside.
Brick repair
Cracks in Lincoln's older brick often trace to a rusted steel lintel, the beam over a window. We fix the cause, then relay the brick to match.
Driveway pavers
Lincoln winters crack plenty of poured driveways, and pavers flex with the ground instead. We lay driveway pavers on a deep, packed gravel base so water drains through.
Foundation repair
Older Lincoln basements were often built of block or brick, and years of wet springs push water through cracked joints. We repair cracks and rebuild sections that moved.
Walkway construction
Frost heaves and tips old front walks around Lincoln until they trip people. We dig out and rebuild on a proper base in brick, stone or pavers.
What Lincoln winters do to brick and mortar
Lincoln averages close to 116 days a year below freezing, and that's where most masonry trouble here starts. Water gets into mortar joints and soft brick, freezes and pushes, so a hairline crack in the fall can be a loose brick by spring. Before we repoint anything, we find where the water's coming from, because new mortar on a wall that stays soaked won't last long. Usually it's a cracked chimney crown, a gutter that overflows or ground that slopes toward the house.
A lot of the brick here is older and softer than what you'd buy today. Patch it with hard modern mortar and the brick takes the stress, so its face cracks off while the mortar stays put. We match the mortar to the brick, and if a wall only needs a few joints fixed, I'll tell you that instead of selling you the whole wall.
Get a free estimate on your Lincoln masonry
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit to your Lincoln property. I'll look the job over and write up a free on-site estimate, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
How a Lincoln job goes
Call or send us the form
Tell us what you're seeing and where the house is, and we'll set a time to come out. You don't need to know what the fix is yet.
I come look it over
I come out myself, look at the brick, mortar and ground, and tell you straight what I see, even when that's a smaller job or one that can wait. You get a written estimate before anything is decided, and it helps if you're home so I can show you what I mean.
We handle permits and the work
Once you say go, we check what your address needs, take care of any permit and set a date. Our crew does the work, and I'm on the job working right alongside them.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, we clean up and walk the job with you so you can see every repair up close. If something doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Lincoln masonry questions answered
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick houses in Lincoln?
Water and freezing cause most of it, because water soaks into the mortar, freezes and pushes the joints apart a little more each winter. Lincoln averages close to 40 inches of precipitation and about 20 inches of snow a year on top of that long freezing season, so walls here rarely stay dry for long. Bad gutters, a cracked chimney crown or an old repair done with mortar harder than the brick make it worse.
How much does tuckpointing cost in Lincoln, IL?
Tuckpointing is priced by how much of the wall actually needs it, so a few bad patches cost a lot less than repointing the whole house. Height adds to it, because a chimney or a second-story wall means scaffolding, and so does matching mortar color and hardness to old brick. I'll walk the wall with you and show you which joints are failing, and if most of it is sound, I'll tell you that.
What is the best time of year for masonry work in Lincoln?
Late spring through early fall is best for mortar and brick work, because fresh mortar needs to cure without freezing and Lincoln nights can drop below freezing well into spring. In the colder months we cover and protect fresh work when we can, or hold off until it warms up. A chimney or wall that's letting water in shouldn't sit until next summer, though, so call when you see it and we'll work out what can be done now.
How do I check if my Lincoln home is in a floodplain?
You can look it up yourself on FEMA's flood map, which Logan County's floodplain page points you to. Use the "Find Address or Place" tool in the National Flood Hazard Layer, and the 100-year floodplain shows up as a blue area marked Zone A or Zone AE. Out in the county, the zoning rules include floodplain regulations too, so it's worth knowing before we plan a foundation repair or a retaining wall.
What building code does Lincoln, IL use for foundation and block wall work?
The City of Lincoln has said it intends to adopt a newer edition of the International Building Code with its own local changes. The state also requires that, in places with a building code, local codes regulate the structural design of homes at least as strictly as the International Residential Code. That matters most for structural work like foundations and block walls, and we check what applies to your address before we start.
Do I need a separate plumber for an outdoor kitchen in Lincoln?
Yes, the water and drain lines for an outdoor kitchen sink go to a plumber, because Illinois licenses plumbers and plumbing contractors and that work isn't masonry. We build the base, the counters and the brick or stone around the grill, and leave room for the lines where the plumber needs them.
Tell us about your Lincoln project
Call (217) 210-0722 any day of the week or send the form with a few lines about what you're seeing, because a crack caught before winter usually stays a small job.
