// Our services
Rebuilding and reinforcing the most exposed walls on your building
Overview
Parapet walls — the sections of wall that rise above the roofline — take the full force of the weather year round. Constant exposure to rain, snow, freeze-thaw cycles and wind causes mortar joints to deteriorate, bricks to loosen, and walls to lean or bow over time. Left unaddressed, a failing parapet can become a serious safety hazard and let water into the structure below.
Star Tuckpointing repairs and rebuilds parapet walls to restore both their strength and appearance. Depending on the condition, this may involve tuckpointing the joints, resetting or replacing damaged brick, rebuilding the wall from a sound course up, and reinstalling proper coping and flashing to keep water out. We pay close attention to protecting the surrounding roof, windows and landscaping throughout the job.
A real Chicago job
Parapet work on a century-old Chicago masonry building. Sections of the wall have been taken down to a sound course and are being rebuilt brick by brick — pallets of salvaged and matching brick staged on the roof, rigging suspended over the side, and joints repointed to lock out the weather for the next hundred years.
Family owned since 1992. Cost is determined by the job, and most of our new work comes from client referrals.
FAQ
A parapet is the low wall extending above the roofline, usually around flat-roof Chicago buildings. Parapets fail from freeze-thaw cycling, failed cap flashing that lets water sit inside the wall, and lack of expansion joints. Star Tuckpointing repairs or rebuilds parapets and restores proper flashing.
Parapet repair in Chicago typically ranges from $1,000 for localized tuckpointing to $10,000 or more for a full rebuild including new cap flashing and coping. Star Tuckpointing inspects the parapet from the roof and provides a written estimate.
An ignored parapet allows water into the roof structure and interior walls, causing rot, mold, and eventual structural failure of the wall and roof deck. Repairs cost far less when caught early, before water reaches the framing.
Most parapet repairs take one to three days depending on wall length and whether flashing and coping need replacement. Star Tuckpointing coordinates with roofers when the cap flashing ties into the roof system.
