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Serving Hammond, IN and surrounding areas. (219) 666-0906
Hammond Masonry & Concrete provides chimney repair, tuckpointing, and brick repair for Lansing, IL homeowners. We have served Cook County border communities since 2017 and know the mid-century brick homes in this village well. New inquiries get a response within one business day.
Lansing's mid-century brick homes were built at a time when chimneys were central to the heating system. Decades of freeze-thaw cycles crack the mortar crown, spall the brick face, and open joints that let water into the flue. A chimney repair inspection catches those problems early - before a minor crown crack becomes a full flue rebuild.
Most of Lansing's brick ranch and Cape Cod homes from the 1950s and 1960s have original mortar that is now 60 to 70 years old. When those joints go soft or start to powder, water gets behind the brick face and freeze-thaw damage accelerates fast. Tuckpointing - removing the degraded mortar and replacing it - is the standard fix and the most effective way to extend the life of an older brick exterior.
Spalling and chipped bricks on Lansing's older homes are usually a sign that water has been penetrating the brick face through multiple freeze-thaw seasons. North-facing walls, window sills, and chimneys are the most common spots. Replacing damaged individual bricks stops the deterioration from spreading to the surrounding masonry.
Lansing sits on heavy clay soil left behind by ancient glacial lake deposits. That soil holds water, expands when wet, and contracts when dry - putting steady pressure on basement walls and slabs. Combined with deep winter frost, this is why foundation cracks are common in Lansing's older homes, and why addressing them early matters.
Brick homes in Lansing that are 60 to 70 years old sometimes need more than spot repairs - the entire exterior may have decades of paint layers, efflorescence, or widespread mortar deterioration. Masonry restoration addresses the full scope of that work, returning the exterior to a condition that will hold up for another generation.
Older Lansing properties often have concrete block basement walls or garden walls that have shifted or cracked after decades of clay soil movement. Repairing or stabilizing these structures stops further damage and restores the structural boundary around the property before the problem compounds.
Most homes in Lansing were built between the 1940s and the 1970s. Brick ranch houses and Cape Cods were the dominant style in this part of the Chicago metro during those decades, and they are still the most common home type throughout the village. That means a large share of Lansing properties have brick exteriors that are now 50 to 80 years old. Brick that age has been through a lot of winters. The Chicago-area freeze-thaw cycle - temperatures regularly swinging above and below freezing through late winter and early spring - is one of the most damaging environments for mortar joints and chimney masonry. What starts as a soft or recessed joint becomes a water entry point, and once water gets behind the brick, the next winter makes the damage worse.
Lansing sits on flat land that was once part of the ancient Lake Chicago lakebed. The soil is heavy clay and drains poorly. After heavy rain, water pools around foundations and in low spots in yards. When that water contacts clay soil, the soil expands and puts lateral pressure on basement walls. Spring flooding and stormwater runoff are recurring issues in Lansing, as Cook County stormwater management programs acknowledge. A masonry contractor who understands the soil conditions here plans foundation and drainage work differently than one who is used to sandy or loam soil.
Our crew works throughout Lansing regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect masonry work here. Lansing is a village in the far southeast corner of Cook County, sitting right on the Illinois-Indiana state line. It borders Highland and Dyer in Indiana to the east, and Lansing's location as a border community means we cross that line regularly to serve homeowners on both sides. The Village of Lansing Building Department handles permits for structural work here, and we pull permits through the local office when the scope of work requires them.
Lansing is oriented around Ridge Road, the main commercial corridor through the heart of the village, with residential streets spreading out in all directions. Neighborhoods near T.F. South High School and those closer to Lansing Municipal Airport on the south end of town have some of the oldest homes in the village, and those properties tend to need the most masonry attention. Homes in the north part of Lansing that were built later are in better shape overall but are reaching the point where chimney and brick mortar maintenance becomes important.
Because Lansing sits on the state line, we naturally serve communities on both sides. To the west, Calumet City, IL has similar mid-century housing stock and masonry repair needs. To the north and west, Munster, IN is another community we work in regularly.
Call (219) 666-0906 or submit the online contact form. Every Lansing inquiry gets a response within one business day - most of the time the same day.
We come to your Lansing property, assess the work, and give you a written estimate at no charge. You will know exactly what the job costs and why before you decide. No obligation to move forward.
Once you approve the estimate, we confirm your start date. For permit-required jobs in Lansing, we file the application and do not begin until the permit is approved. You do not need to manage that process yourself.
When the work is done, we clean up and walk the completed job with you before we leave. If something is not right, we fix it on the spot - not after you call us back.
We serve homeowners throughout Lansing and the surrounding Cook County communities. No pressure, honest pricing, and a response within one business day.
(219) 666-0906Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, located in the far southeast corner of the county on the Illinois-Indiana state line, about 25 miles south of downtown Chicago. The village has a population of roughly 28,000 and is made up primarily of single-family homes - mostly brick ranch houses and Cape Cods built between the 1940s and the 1970s. That mid-century housing stock is Lansing's defining characteristic as a community. Ridge Road runs through the heart of the village as the main commercial corridor, and neighborhoods spread out north and south from there. Thornton Fractional South High School, known locally as T.F. South, is a well-known landmark for families throughout the village. On the south end, Lansing Municipal Airport is one of the few general aviation airports this close to Chicago.
Lansing borders Dyer and Highland, Indiana, to the east, placing it squarely in the orbit of Northwest Indiana communities while remaining a Cook County, Illinois village. The homeownership rate in Lansing is around 70%, which means most residents have a genuine stake in maintaining their properties. The flat terrain and clay soil that make Lansing's drainage challenging also make masonry maintenance - particularly chimney repair, tuckpointing, and foundation work - an ongoing priority for homeowners here. Nearby communities we serve include Calumet City, IL to the west and Dolton, IL to the northwest, both of which share Lansing's Cook County housing profile.
Install block foundations that provide lasting structural support.
Learn MoreFrom chimney repair to tuckpointing and brick restoration, we handle what older Lansing homes need. Call for a free estimate and we will get back to you within one business day.