Masonry on the Lower East Side, Manhattan

What Masonry Repairs Do Lower East Side Buildings Need?

The neighborhood mixes old tenements, big co op complexes and newer towers, so the work varies. Tenements need lintel and sill repairs and brick replacement. Larger buildings need facade repairs that follow an inspection report. Everything gets older each winter, and masonry hides its problems well.

The Baruch Houses and other developments near the river are managed by the city and are outside what we can offer. Private co ops, condos and rental buildings are where we do most of our work.

• Rusting lintels pushing brick outward
• Cracked and spalled stone sills
• Loose parapet brick and coping
• Bulging walls with bowed courses
• Failed patches from earlier repairs
• Storefront piers chipped by deliveries

Tenements here were often altered in the twentieth century. Fire escapes were added, windows were resized and shopfronts were cut into the ground floor. Each change disturbed the original wall, and many left patches that now leak. When we open a wall, we often find three generations of repairs, and we explain what each one means for the new work.

Fire escape anchors deserve a mention. Rusted anchors crack the brick around them and let water into the wall. We reset or replace the masonry around an anchor when the damage is clear, and we tell you when the escape itself needs a metal contractor.

Early repair costs far less than waiting. A rusted lintel that is caught early may be treated, while one that has split the wall above needs rebuilding.