Brick replacement across a Burr Ridge estate’s north elevation — root cause corrected first, then 400+ sq ft of matched brick installed to disappear into the original wall.
Project Details
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After 
Before 1/3 — Main wall section — spalling brick removed and replaced with matched clay brick units
After 
Before 2/3 — Corner detail — damaged corner brick replaced and repointed with color-matched mortar
After 
Before 3/3 — Window surround — frost-damaged brick around opening replaced, lintel inspected and sealed
On an estate of this scale, a visible patch was never an option. We corrected the drainage condition that had been holding moisture against the north elevation, then replaced over 400 square feet of brick with a profile and color match sourced through our custom-home supplier network — a repair that reads as original wall.
The wrong replacement brick turns a small repair into a permanent visible patch on the home’s face
Matching color, texture, and course size takes a real supplier network — not whatever the local yard has in stock
The cause behind the damaged brick has to be addressed too, or the same failure returns in a few winters
Every project follows the same disciplined sequence — no shortcuts, no hand-offs, same crew start to finish.
We catalog all damaged units, measure profile dimensions (species, face size, texture), and source the correct matching brick before any removal begins. We won't start work without an approved match sample.
Mortar joints around damaged units are saw-cut before extraction to avoid damaging adjacent brick. Careful removal is the only way to preserve the surrounding wall.
Matched replacement brick is set in correctly formulated mortar. All joints disturbed during removal are repointed with color-matched mortar tooled to existing profile.
Completed work is cleaned and inspected under raking light to confirm matching and joint consistency. Before/after photos are taken at every location before we close out.
The hardest part of damaged brick replacement is matching the original. AMS maintains relationships with regional and salvage suppliers specifically so we can find the right match — not the close match. A properly matched brick replacement is indistinguishable from the original wall within one season of weathering.
In most cases, yes — we source from regional suppliers and salvage yards that stock discontinued profiles. For very rare or pre-1940 brick, we typically find salvaged matching units within 2-3 weeks. We always bring samples for approval before we start.
Freeze-thaw cycling is the most common cause in Illinois. Water enters through a hairline crack or porous face, freezes, expands, and pushes the brick face off. The underlying cause is almost always water infiltration from failed mortar, cracks, or missing caulk — we fix the entry point when we replace the brick.
Selective replacement is almost always the right approach. We remove only the damaged units and restore adjacent joints. A full-wall demo is only warranted when structural damage affects the entire section — which is rare.
