Chinatown Masonry
Masonry in Chinatown, Manhattan
Brick and stone repair for tenement walls, parapets, area walls and entrances in the old buildings around Canal Street, Mott Street and the Bowery.
- Brick and stone walls rebuilt or repaired
- Parapets and copings secured
- Written estimate after a free visit
What Masonry Problems Do Chinatown Buildings Have?
Chinatown is full of old brick tenements, and age shows in the masonry. Parapets lean, bricks bulge, lintels rust and walls crack. Water is the root cause in most cases, and the damage often begins at the roofline or around openings.
Many tenements here are five and six stories with narrow shop fronts. The facade carries signs, awnings and ducts, and the roof edge has a parapet that sees wind, rain and freeze thaw cycles every year.
- Leaning or loose parapets and copings
- Bulging brick above windows and doors
- Rusted steel lintels pushing the brick out
- Cracks that follow a stair step line through mortar
- Broken stone sills and steps
- Failing walls around sidewalk areaways
The Confucius Plaza tower on the Bowery and some newer buildings have different needs, mostly sealant, panels and joints. Older tenements mostly need real brick work. We assess each property on its own.
Shop fronts add their own wear. Where a ground floor was opened up for a wider storefront, a steel beam now carries the wall above it. If that beam rusts, the brick over it cracks and drops. We check those beams on every ground floor wall we repair.
Brick Bulging Above a Window?
That is often a rusted lintel. Send us the address and we will inspect it.
How We Fix It
How Is Masonry Repaired on an Old Tenement?
We first find the cause of the damage, then rebuild the failed section. That can mean taking down loose brick, replacing a rusted lintel, rebuilding a parapet course by course and repointing around the work. Stone pieces are repaired or replaced to match.
Rebuilding a parapet is common here. We take it down to sound brick, rebuild it with a proper cap and add flashing so water runs off and not into the wall.
Areaways and walls beside cellar entrances often crack because water collects behind them. We rebuild the wall and check drainage so the repair lasts.
Jobs above the ground floor need scaffolding or sheds, and we plan that with the shops below so entrances stay open.
Cornices and decorative brick bands on Mott Street and Mulberry Street buildings are often worth saving. We rebuild the sound parts, replace what has failed with matching brick, and secure what remains.
What Approvals Does Masonry Work in Chinatown Need?
Structural masonry, parapet rebuilds and work needing scaffolding or sidewalk sheds usually involve the Department of Buildings. Local Law 11 applies to buildings over six stories. We cannot confirm a historic district in Chinatown, so confirm current rules with the city.
We file DOB permits when a job needs one, and we do not tell owners that none is needed. Some repairs are simple. Others involve filings and a licensed professional, and we sort out which applies.
When a Local Law 11 report lists unsafe conditions, the work must be done on a schedule set by the city. We can handle the masonry repairs, such as brick replacement, parapet work and pointing.
Masonry at the sidewalk edge, such as walls around vaults and cellar entrances, can overlap with sidewalk rules. The owner must keep the sidewalk in repair, and we can fix both in one project.
Why Us
Why Chinatown Owners Choose Our Masons
Cause first, repair second
We find the source of the damage so it does not return.
Permit paperwork handled
DOB filings are part of our service when a job needs them.
25+ years in NYC
Old tenement masonry is work we have done for decades.
Nearby
Masonry Near Chinatown
We also do masonry in the neighborhoods next to Chinatown.
FAQ
Chinatown Masonry Questions
Pointing renews the mortar joints. Masonry also covers replacing bricks, rebuilding walls and parapets, and repairing stone.
Yes. We usually take it down to sound brick, rebuild it and add a cap and flashing. Permits are checked before the work.
A steel lintel may have rusted and expanded. Replacing it and resetting the brick usually fixes the cause.
Yes. We rebuild the wall and check how water drains behind it.
Call (718) 468-8803 or use the form. We inspect first and write up the price at no charge.
Free on site estimate
Repair the Brick and Stone of Your Chinatown Building
Inspection, scope and permits handled by one contractor.
Contact
Book Your Chinatown Masonry Visit
Describe the wall, parapet or stoop and what you see. Photos of the damage speed things up.
- Call us(718) 468-8803
- HoursMon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Free on site estimate with a written price
- Licensed and insured, 25+ years in business
- We handle DOT sidewalk permits
- Serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx
Get Your Free Estimate
Takes about a minute. No cost and no obligation.