Downers Grove, IL · Commercial Masonry Restoration
Arrow Masonry provides commercial tuckpointing, brick repair, and full masonry restoration for Downers Grove commercial property managers, condo boards, and building owners. Serving southwest DuPage and Will County since 1993, with over fifty years of combined field experience.
What We Do in Downers Grove
Aging mortar deteriorates first because it is designed to be softer than the surrounding brick, so it absorbs weathering and movement before the brick does. As joints deteriorate, water infiltrates the wall assembly and damages sheathing, insulation, and framing long before visible failure appears at the surface. Arrow grinds each joint to a minimum three-quarter-inch depth before packing new mortar and color-matches every batch from a physical sample taken against the existing wall.
Tuckpointing ›Once brick spalls and exposes the softer core, the damage cycle accelerates and spreads to adjacent units. Matching replacement brick is the harder half of the repair: brick from manufacturers no longer in production is sourced through salvage yards and regional brickyards, then hand-selected so face color, texture, and dimension read continuous with the original wall. Arrow tuckpoints the surrounding joints as part of every brick replacement so the repair reads as one restored section, not a visible patch.
Brick Repair ›Full facade restoration coordinates tuckpointing, brick replacement, lintel work, stone repair, and caulking on the same building under one written scope. The assessment covers mortar joints, brick and stone faces, lintels, sills, coping stones, parapet caps, flashing, and roof-to-wall transitions. Priorities are assigned by water-entry risk and structural urgency, so condo boards and property managers can fund critical work now and budget deferrable work over the next twelve to twenty-four months. Every scope includes a written specification suitable for lender review, insurance documentation, and reserve-study updates.
Masonry Restoration ›Original steel lintels in older buildings are typically rusting from the inside out long before visible cracking appears at the surface. Arrow replaces failed lintels before the deterioration reaches the surrounding masonry; at the point of surface failure, a lintel replacement becomes an opening rebuild. Where original lintels can be preserved on historic buildings, Arrow coordinates rust removal, primer application, and reinstatement rather than automatic replacement.
Lintel Replacement ›Stone requires different techniques than brick: softer mortar composition, protective grinding protocols, and breathable consolidants for friable material. Arrow handles both the stone repair and the surrounding masonry integration so restored sections read as continuous with the original facade. Dutchman repairs, pinning, and consolidation are used where full replacement is unnecessary; matched replacement stone is sourced from regional quarries and salvage yards when replacement is required.
Stone Restoration ›Deferred chimney repair almost always spreads inward as roof deck damage, attic water intrusion, or interior ceiling staining. Arrow handles crown repair and replacement, chimney cap installation, tuckpointing, flashing repair, and full chimney rebuilds. Chimney base flashing is inspected on every scope, not just the crown and joints.
Chimney Repair ›Panel systems fail differently than solid masonry: anchor corrosion causes bowing, and eventual separation becomes a life-safety hazard. Arrow uses stainless-steel through-bolt anchors on panel repairs for a service life of 50 years or more, and preserves the air cavity and weep holes that panel systems require to drain properly.
Panel Brick Repair ›Local Context
DuPage County municipalities require building permits for structural masonry repair, lintel replacement, and most tuckpointing work above a height threshold set by the individual village or city. Permit filings require licensed contractor documentation, insurance certificates, and safety plans. Arrow is licensed, insured, and bonded for masonry work throughout DuPage County.
Mortar work requires ambient temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit during placement and the initial cure. The Chicago-area climate meets this threshold from mid-April through early November. Emergency stabilization can be performed year-round with heated enclosures; scheduled maintenance is planned in the standard working season.
Downers Grove's 2013 Village Historic Building Survey documented 865 pre-1930 properties across Denburn Woods, Shady Lane Estates, the E.H. Prince Subdivision, and the Maple Avenue/Main Street corridor, giving the Design Review Board a working inventory for masonry review.
Applications for exterior masonry work on buildings within these districts go through the Downers Grove Historic Preservation and Design Review Board. Arrow prepares material samples, mortar analyses, and scope documentation appropriate for landmark applications, and uses heritage-appropriate lime mortars and reversible techniques where the landmark scope requires them.
Arrow custom-blends mortar and samples it against the existing building before a single joint is filled. Completed repairs integrate into the facade instead of announcing themselves as patches.
Arrow separates critical repairs from work that can wait twelve to twenty-four months. Boards fund essential work now and budget secondary work in future cycles, without deferring what is structurally necessary.
Property managers are accountable to residents and boards. Arrow communicates schedule adjustments and scope changes in writing before they take effect, not after a crew fails to appear.
What Clients Say
Your estimator’s responses were always prompt and professional. I believe that she was evaluating the masonry repair needs of our home as carefully as she would her own. Everything was done as promised. The craftsmanship of the work performed paralleled the quality of your estimator’s service.
Most important is your account representative was available within 24 hours. I appreciate her honest and frank attention. Good Job! Thank you.
Full Service Capabilities
Arrow also helps property owners correct municipal code violations and failed facade inspections. Request a quote online 24/7 or call (847) 776-6400. Arrow can usually schedule an on-site inspection within 24 hours.
Free estimates for all projects. We serve property managers, condo associations, and building owners across Downers Grove and DuPage County.