Lintel Repair & Replacement · New Lenox, IL
Lintel Replacement in New Lenox, IL — Rusted Lintels & Cracked Brick
That horizontal crack above your New Lenox window usually isn't the brick failing — it's the steel lintel underneath it rusting and lifting the wall. Paul Lally's Masonry replaces failed lintels and rebuilds the brick above them, family-owned since 1988.
Quick Answer
Paul Lally's Masonry replaces rusted and failing steel lintels in New Lenox, IL — the angle-iron supports above windows, doors, and garage openings. We remove the corroded lintel, set a galvanized replacement, and rebuild the cracked brick courses above it. Family-owned and serving Chicagoland since 1988, licensed, bonded, and insured. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.
Lintel replacement in New Lenox, IL — fix the steel, save the brick
If there's a crack running straight across the mortar joint above one of your windows, the brick is rarely the problem. The problem is hidden underneath it: the steel lintel — the angle-iron beam that carries the brick over every window, door, and garage opening — is rusting, and rust takes up more space than solid steel. As it swells, it lifts the courses above and cracks the wall from the inside out. Paul Lally's Masonry replaces failed lintels for New Lenox homeowners and rebuilds the brick above them so the opening is sound again. Family-owned and serving Chicagoland since 1988, licensed, bonded, and insured. Free on-site estimates: (708) 448-8866.
What lintel replacement actually involves
A lintel job is more than swapping a piece of steel — it's masonry surgery above an opening. Done properly it includes:
- Shoring the opening — temporarily supporting the brick above the window or door so it doesn't drop when the old steel comes out.
- Removing the failed lintel — cutting out the rusted angle iron that's been jacking the wall.
- Setting a galvanized replacement — a corrosion-resistant lintel sized to the span so it resists the rust that ruined the original.
- Rebuilding the brick — relaying the cracked or displaced courses with matched brick and color- and type-matched mortar.
- Repointing around the opening — tying the new work into the surrounding joints so the repair disappears.
Signs your New Lenox home has a failing lintel
Most homeowners notice the symptoms long before they know the cause. Watch for:
- A horizontal crack in the mortar joint right above a window, door, or garage opening.
- Sagging or stepped brick at the top corners of an opening.
- Rust staining — orange-brown streaks bleeding down the brick from the steel.
- A lifted or bowing course where the swelling steel has pushed the masonry up.
- Gaps opening at the ends of the lintel, often where water gets in first.
- Windows or doors that suddenly stick as the opening shifts.
Why waiting makes a lintel job bigger
Rust jacking doesn't pause. Once the steel starts corroding — and on New Lenox homes it usually starts at the exposed ends where water sits — the expansion keeps widening the crack and pushing into more brick every season. A repair that today means one lintel and a few courses of brick can, after a couple of Will County winters, mean a longer span of rebuilt wall. Freeze-thaw cycles speed the whole process up, because every bit of water that gets into the opened joints freezes, expands, and pries the masonry further apart. The earlier we catch it, the smaller and cleaner the fix.
Our lintel replacement process
- Free on-site inspection. We confirm the crack is coming from a failing lintel — not settlement or another cause — and check every opening on the house, since lintels of the same age often fail together.
- Shore and protect. We support the masonry above the opening and protect the window, door, and surrounding brick before anything comes out.
- Remove and replace the steel. The rusted lintel comes out and a properly sized galvanized lintel goes in, set with the right bearing on each end.
- Rebuild and match. We relay the brick above the opening with matched units and color- and type-matched mortar, then repoint into the surrounding wall.
- Clean up. We leave the opening sound and the work site clean, and let the mortar cure properly.
What drives the cost of lintel replacement
We never publish a flat price, because no two walls are the same. What moves the number:
- How many lintels have failed — one window versus several openings around the house.
- The width of the opening — a long garage-door or picture-window span carries more load and more brick.
- How much brick must be rebuilt — the further the cracking has traveled, the more courses come down.
- Access — second-story openings and tight setbacks need more setup.
- Brick matching — sourcing brick to match an older New Lenox home takes extra effort.
The only honest figure is a free on-site estimate — (708) 448-8866.
Why New Lenox homeowners call 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 replacement, tuckpointing, brick repair and replacement, chimney repair and rebuilds, masonry restoration, and waterproofing for residential and commercial properties. We diagnose the real cause of the crack, replace the steel with galvanized lintels built to last, and rebuild the brick so you'd never know it failed. Built on Craftsmanship. Backed by Experience. Free on-site estimates — call (708) 448-8866.
Related services
- Lintel repair and replacement — the full scope of how we fix failing steel above openings.
- Brick repair — for the cracked and spalled brick a failing lintel leaves behind.
- Brick replacement — when displaced brick above an opening needs to be swapped out.
- Tuckpointing and repointing — renewing the mortar joints around the rebuilt opening.
Seeing a crack above a window or door? Call Paul Lally's Masonry at (708) 448-8866 or request a free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does lintel replacement cost in New Lenox, IL?
There is no flat rate — it depends on how many lintels have failed, the width of the openings, how much brick above them has to be rebuilt, and access at the wall. A single window lintel is a smaller job than a long garage-door span. The only accurate number is a free on-site estimate from Paul Lally's Masonry.
What are the signs my New Lenox home needs a new lintel?
Look for a horizontal crack in the mortar joint directly above a window, door, or garage opening, brick that sags or steps down at the corners of the opening, rust stains bleeding down the brick, and a visible gap where the steel has lifted the masonry. Doors and windows that suddenly stick can also point to a failing lintel.
What is 'rust jacking' and why does it crack my brick?
Steel lintels expand as they rust. That expansion — called rust jacking — pushes up on the brick courses resting on the lintel, opening the mortar joints and cracking the brick above the opening. The longer it goes, the more brick has to be rebuilt, so catching it early keeps the repair smaller.
Do you replace the brick above the lintel too?
Yes. Replacing the lintel means temporarily supporting and removing the brick above the opening, setting the new galvanized lintel, and rebuilding those courses with matched brick and mortar. A lintel job done right leaves the wall looking like nothing was ever wrong.
What kind of lintel do you install?
We install galvanized (corrosion-resistant) steel lintels sized to the opening so the new support resists the rust that destroyed the old one. We match the brick size, color, and texture and use color- and type-matched mortar so the rebuilt section blends with the rest of your New Lenox home.
Is a cracked lintel an emergency?
It is not usually an overnight emergency, but it does not stop on its own — rust keeps expanding and the crack keeps spreading through more brick. Left long enough, brick can loosen above the opening and become a falling hazard. It is best to have it looked at before another freeze-thaw winter widens it.
How long does lintel replacement take?
A single window or door lintel is often a one-day job once the brick is supported; longer spans or several openings take more time, and the rebuilt mortar needs to cure properly. We give you a realistic timeline with your free written estimate.
Free on-site estimates across Chicagoland.