Lintel Repair & Replacement · Hinsdale, IL
Lintel Replacement in Hinsdale, IL — Cracked Brick Above Windows
The cracked, stair-stepped brick above your Hinsdale windows usually means a rusted steel lintel pushing the masonry apart. Paul Lally's Masonry replaces failing lintels and rebuilds the brick above them — family-owned since 1988.
Quick Answer
Paul Lally's Masonry replaces failing lintels in Hinsdale, IL — the steel angles above windows and doors that rust, swell, and crack the brick above them (rust jacking). We remove the rusted lintel, install a new properly-coated steel lintel, and rebuild the masonry above. Family-owned and serving Chicagoland since 1988, licensed and insured. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.
Lintel replacement in Hinsdale, IL — when the brick over your windows cracks
If you have noticed cracks marching up from the corners of a window, brick that looks like it is sagging over a door, or rust bleeding out of the steel above an opening, the problem is almost certainly a failing lintel. On Hinsdale's brick homes — many of them older, substantial houses with steel-lintel construction — this is one of the most common masonry repairs we do. Paul Lally's Masonry replaces rusted and failing lintels and rebuilds the brick above them. Family-owned and serving Chicagoland since 1988, licensed, bonded, and insured. Free on-site estimates: (708) 448-8866.
What a lintel is — and why it fails
A lintel is the horizontal support that spans the top of a window or door and carries the masonry above it. On brick homes it is usually a steel angle. The trouble is that steel rusts, and rust occupies far more volume than the steel it came from. As the lintel corrodes, it swells — a process masons call rust jacking — and that expansion pushes the surrounding brick apart. The result is the classic signs:
- Stair-step cracks climbing from the upper corners of the window.
- A horizontal crack or gap right at the lintel line.
- Sagging or dropping brick over the opening.
- Rust stains streaking down the brick from the steel.
- Open mortar joints and loose brick above the window.
The risk of waiting
A failing lintel does not heal — it keeps swelling, keeps cracking the brick, and keeps opening a path for water into the wall. Water then accelerates freeze-thaw damage on the surrounding brick and feeds more rust on the steel, a cycle that only widens. Caught early, lintel replacement is a contained repair to one opening. Left for years, it can pull in surrounding brick replacement and let masonry above the window loosen.
Our lintel replacement process
- Free inspection. We confirm it is the lintel (and not, say, foundation movement) and check every opening — rust often hits several windows on the same elevation.
- Support and remove. We carefully take down the brick above the opening and remove the rusted steel.
- Install new, protected steel. A correctly sized, properly coated steel lintel goes in, set to carry the load and resist future corrosion.
- Rebuild the brick. We rebuild the masonry above using your existing brick where possible, matching any replacements and using color- and type-matched mortar.
- Point and clean. Joints are tooled to match the wall and the brick is cleaned down.
What drives the cost of lintel replacement
No flat rate — the number depends on:
- How many lintels are failing (rust rarely stops at one window).
- Length and location of the opening — a wide or upper-story span is more involved.
- How much brick above the lintel must be rebuilt.
- Access — ground floor versus work that needs staging.
The only honest figure is a free on-site estimate — (708) 448-8866.
Why Hinsdale homeowners trust Paul Lally's Masonry
Paul Lally's Masonry is a family-owned, licensed and insured masonry contractor serving Chicago and the Chicagoland suburbs since 1988 — lintel repair and replacement, tuckpointing, brick repair and replacement, chimney repair, masonry restoration, and waterproofing for residential and commercial properties. We diagnose the real cause of the cracking, replace the steel with properly protected new lintels, and rebuild the brick so the repair disappears into the wall. Built on Craftsmanship. Backed by Experience. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.
Related services
- Brick repair and replacement — for the brick a rusted lintel has cracked.
- Tuckpointing and repointing — to renew the joints opened by rust jacking.
- Masonry restoration — for older Hinsdale homes needing broader work.
Seeing cracks above your windows? Call Paul Lally's Masonry at (708) 448-8866 or request a free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does lintel replacement cost in Hinsdale, IL?
There is no flat rate — it depends on how many lintels are failing, their length and location, how much brick above them must be rebuilt, and access. A single ground-floor window lintel is far simpler than several upper-story openings. The only accurate figure is a free on-site estimate from Paul Lally's Masonry.
Why is the brick above my Hinsdale window cracking?
Almost always a rusting steel lintel. The steel angle that carries the brick over the opening rusts, and rust takes up more space than steel — so it swells and pushes the masonry apart, cracking the brick and opening the mortar joints. Masons call it rust jacking, and the fix is replacing the lintel.
What is a lintel and what does it do?
A lintel is the horizontal support — usually a steel angle on brick homes — that spans the top of a window or door and carries the weight of the masonry above. When it rusts through or sags, the brick above loses its support and begins to crack, drop, and let water in.
Can a rusted lintel just be repaired instead of replaced?
Light surface rust caught early can sometimes be cleaned and coated, but once the steel has scaled and swelled enough to crack the brick, replacement is the lasting fix. We assess the steel and the brick above it and tell you honestly which your Hinsdale home needs.
Is a failing lintel dangerous?
It is not usually an emergency, but it should not be ignored. Left alone, a failing lintel keeps cracking the brick, lets water into the wall, and can eventually allow masonry above the opening to loosen and drop. Replacing it early keeps the repair small and protects the wall.
Will you match the brick when you rebuild above the lintel?
Yes. We carefully remove the brick above the lintel, set the new steel, and rebuild using your existing brick where we can, matching any replacements and using color- and type-matched mortar so the repair blends into the wall.
Free on-site estimates across Chicagoland.