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Serving Hammond, IN and surrounding areas. (219) 666-0906
Hammond Masonry & Concrete is a masonry contractor serving Harvey, IL with fireplace installation, tuckpointing, brick repair, and foundation work. We have worked on Cook County bungalows and two-flats since 2017 and respond to every new inquiry within one business day.
Harvey bungalows were built with solid masonry throughout, and many already have a chimney that can support a fireplace addition without starting from scratch. A properly installed masonry fireplace in a home this old needs a lined flue and a firebox built to current code - work that pays off in both safety and in the warmth that older, under-insulated homes genuinely need in a Chicago-area winter.
Harvey brick bungalows built before 1950 have original mortar that is now 70 to 100 years old. Mortar this age is often recessed, soft, and letting water into the wall on every rain. Tuckpointing - grinding out the failed joints and packing in fresh mortar - is the most direct way to stop that water infiltration and buy the brick another generation of life without replacing any of the original masonry.
A Harvey bungalow chimney that is 80 or 100 years old has been through a very large number of freeze-thaw cycles and heating seasons. Chimneys deteriorate faster than wall brick because they are exposed on all four sides to both flue heat and outdoor cold. Cracked chimney crowns, open mortar joints, and spalled chimney bricks all channel water into the home's interior and can create fire risk if the flue liner is compromised.
Spalling, face-cracked, or structurally loose bricks on Harvey homes are almost always the result of decades of water entering through failed mortar joints and then freezing inside the brick each winter. Bricks at the base of the home and on north-facing walls take the most damage. Replacing damaged bricks and repointing the surrounding joints stops the freeze-thaw cycle from spreading to adjacent sections of wall.
Harvey foundations built before 1960 deal with clay soil that holds water for days after rain and expands against the foundation wall when it is saturated. Horizontal cracks in block foundations are often a sign of lateral pressure from saturated clay. Catching these cracks while they are still narrow is consistently less expensive than waiting until sections of the wall have shifted or bowed significantly.
Brick pointing is the targeted repair version of tuckpointing - filling failed or open joints in specific areas of the wall rather than doing the full exterior. On Harvey two-flats and bungalows, pointing is the right call when most of the mortar is still sound but specific sections near windows, at corners, or along the foundation course have opened up. Addressing those weak spots before they spread is a straightforward way to protect a home that does not need a full repoint yet.
The majority of homes in Harvey were built before 1960, and a significant share date to before World War II. These are solid brick bungalows and two-flats that were built to last, but they were not built with modern drainage, insulation, or waterproofing standards in mind. After 70 to 100 years of Chicago-area winters, the masonry on these homes carries real wear: mortar joints that have softened and recessed, brick faces that have absorbed water and spalled through repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and chimneys that have been heating and cooling for close to a century. A masonry contractor who works on older homes every day understands what to expect - and can tell you what is worth repairing versus what is cosmetic.
Harvey sits on flat clay-heavy soil typical of the Cook County lake plain, and that soil creates consistent foundation and drainage issues. Clay holds water instead of letting it drain away, which means every heavy rain sends moisture toward basement walls. Spring snowmelt compounds the problem significantly, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has identified parts of Cook County as flood-prone. Homes with detached alley garages - common throughout Harvey's neighborhoods - often have concrete aprons and garage floors that have cracked and settled from decades of clay movement. A masonry contractor who serves Harvey regularly knows these patterns and can address the cause rather than just the visible symptom.
Our crew works throughout Harvey regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect masonry work here. Harvey is the largest city in Thornton Township, and building permits for structural masonry work are handled through the City of Harvey. We pull all required permits and coordinate inspections as part of the job, so you are not dealing with that process on your own.
Harvey runs along the Metra Electric District line, with the Harvey station connecting residents to downtown Chicago and the surrounding south suburbs. The city borders Dixmoor and Phoenix to the west, Markham to the south, and Dolton to the north. Most of the residential areas are west of Halsted Street - block after block of brick bungalows with detached garages off the alley, concrete sidewalks, and front stoops that have been there since the home was built. We know this property type well because we work on homes like this throughout the south suburban area.
We also serve Hammond, IN, just across the state line to the east, where the housing stock is similar and the masonry needs are the same. Closer by, we work regularly throughout Dolton, IL to the north - if you have a neighbor there who needs masonry work, we cover that village too.
Call or submit the contact form and describe what you are seeing - cracked chimney mortar, a wet basement, a fireplace project, or anything else. We respond to every new Harvey inquiry within one business day.
We come to your Harvey property, look at the issue directly, and give you a written estimate with a clear price - no vague ranges added to later. On older homes, we often spot adjacent issues worth addressing together, so the assessment covers the full picture and not just the one thing you called about.
After you approve the estimate, we schedule the crew and order materials. Most Harvey residential jobs can start within one to two weeks of approval. For most exterior masonry work, you do not need to be present during the job.
When the work is done, we walk the job with you so you can see exactly what was repaired or installed. We explain what to watch for going forward and answer any questions before we leave.
We serve Harvey homeowners throughout the city. No obligation - just a straight answer about what your home needs and what it will cost.
(219) 666-0906Harvey is a south suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, with roughly 24,000 residents. The city is located about 20 miles south of downtown Chicago and is served by the Metra Electric District line, which makes it a commuter city with deep south suburban roots. Harvey is the largest city in Thornton Township and serves as an anchor for several smaller surrounding villages. The residential fabric of Harvey is defined by the Chicago-style brick bungalow - one-and-a-half-story homes with small front porches, full basements, and brick exteriors that were built mostly between 1910 and 1940. Many of these homes are now 80 to 100 years old and require regular masonry maintenance to stay in good shape. You can read more about the city at the Harvey, Illinois Wikipedia article.
Harvey borders Dixmoor and Phoenix to the west, Markham to the south, and Dolton to the north. Most residential streets are arranged in the classic Midwest grid, with detached garages accessed from alleys behind each home. The mix of single-family bungalows and two-flat buildings is typical of the south suburban pattern - owner-occupants living alongside a meaningful share of rentals, all in structures built before the era of modern building codes. Neighboring Dolton, IL to the north and Calumet City, IL share the same building stock and masonry needs, and we serve all three communities.
Install block foundations that provide lasting structural support.
Learn MoreHarvey winters put real stress on older brick homes - call us now to get a free estimate and a straight answer about what your masonry needs before the next freeze season.