Lintel Repair & Replacement
Rusting steel lifts the brick above it. Caught early, it's a contained repair.
Overview
A lintel is the steel angle that carries the brick above a window or door opening. When that steel corrodes, it expands — a process called rust jacking — and pushes the masonry above it upward and outward. The telltale signs are a horizontal crack at the lintel line, brick lifting above an opening, and rust staining bleeding down the wall.
We repair or replace failing lintels: removing the brick above the opening, taking out the corroded steel, installing a properly coated or galvanized replacement, and rebuilding the masonry with matching brick and mortar. Caught early, it's a contained repair. Left alone, rust jacking damages an ever-widening section of wall.
Scope of Work
- Corroded steel lintel replacement
- Lintel coating and rust treatment
- Brick rebuild above openings
- Shelf angle repair on commercial buildings
- Matching brick and mortar restoration
- Multi-opening lintel assessment
Quick Answer
Emerald Masonry LLC repairs and replaces rusting steel lintels above windows and doors across Chicagoland, then rebuilds the masonry above with matching brick. Caught early, it's a contained repair. Family-owned, licensed and insured, 40+ years. Call (708) 288-1696.
Warning Signs
When to Call Us
01
Horizontal Crack Above an Opening
A straight horizontal crack at the top of a window or door, often with the brick course lifted, is the classic sign of a lintel rusting and expanding beneath it.
02
Rust Staining Below the Lintel Line
Orange-brown streaks running down the brick from the lintel line mean the steel is actively corroding and shedding rust through the masonry.
03
Gaps or Displaced Brick at the Header
Brick that has lifted, separated, or opened up directly above an opening indicates the lintel below is expanding and losing its load-bearing capacity.
04
Multiple Openings Affected
On older buildings, lintels installed at the same time tend to fail around the same time. When one shows symptoms, the others usually warrant inspection.
Materials We Use
- Galvanized or coated replacement steel lintels
- Rust-converting and protective coatings
- Through-wall flashing above the lintel
- Matching brick and mortar for the rebuild
What Affects the Price
- Number of lintels affected
- Length of each opening
- Amount of brick to remove and rebuild
- Access and building height
Every building is different. We provide free on-site estimates so you get a real number for your property — call (708) 288-1696.
Making the Right Call
Lintel repair vs. waiting
Lintel corrosion only worsens. A single-opening repair is contained and predictable; deferring it lets rust jacking damage more brick and can turn a one-lintel job into a multi-opening rebuild.
Past Work
Project Gallery
Lintel replacement — commercial opening
Brick displacement above a failing lintel
Masonry rebuilt above a new lintel
FAQ
Common Questions
Look for a horizontal crack at the top of a window or door, brick that has lifted above the opening, and rust staining running down the wall. Those three signs together almost always mean the steel lintel is corroding and expanding.
It depends on how far the corrosion has progressed. Lightly rusted steel can sometimes be cleaned and coated, but heavily corroded lintels that have lost section need replacement. We assess the steel once the masonry above is opened up.
Rust jacking is progressive. The steel keeps expanding, lifting and cracking more brick over a widening area, and eventually the masonry above the opening loses support. A contained repair now is far cheaper than a large rebuild later.
Water reaching the steel — through failed joints, missing flashing, or porous brick — combined with freeze-thaw cycling drives corrosion. Lintels with no protective flashing above them are especially vulnerable.
Get Started
Request a Free Lintel Repair & Replacement Estimate
Free on-site estimates for commercial and large-scale residential projects across Chicagoland. Upload diagnostic photos and we'll get back to you the same day.
Phone
(708) 288-1696Other Services
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