Cary, IL · Commercial Masonry Restoration
Arrow Masonry provides commercial tuckpointing, brick repair, and full masonry restoration for Cary property managers, condo associations, and commercial building owners. Serving the northwest suburbs since 1993, with over fifty years of combined field experience.
What We Do in Cary
Mortar joints face roughly 100 freeze-thaw cycles per year in the Chicago-area climate, per NWS ORD/MDW normals, and joint failure accelerates once the seal breaks. 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 ›Brick face damage on older buildings often signals decades of freezing water expanding inside the brick body. 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 ›Every restoration scope includes a written specification suitable for lender review, insurance documentation, and reserve-study updates. 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 ›Rusting steel expands up to ten times its original volume, which fractures the surrounding brick and mortar. 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 ›Buildings across McHenry County incorporate Indiana limestone, sandstone, cast stone, or granite in window surrounds, sills, water tables, and facade accents. 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 ›Stainless-steel through-bolt anchors give panel repairs a service life of 50 years or more. 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
McHenry County and its municipalities require permits for lintel replacement, parapet work, and tuckpointing above a locally set height threshold. Permit applications require licensed contractor documentation and insurance certificates. Arrow is licensed, insured, and bonded for masonry work throughout McHenry 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.
Cary was founded when William Dennison Cary bought 82 acres in 1841 for $1.25 an acre and built his home at 9 West Main Street, and Cary Ale House and Brewing Company, originally Wascher Tavern, has operated in the downtown as Cary's first licensed saloon since 1870.
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.
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 Cary and McHenry County.