Parapet Wall Repair & Rebuild in Chicago & Lyons, IL

Why parapets fail first

A parapet is the short wall that runs above the roof line on most Chicago flat-roof buildings — two-flats, three-flats, courtyard buildings, and storefronts. Unlike the rest of the wall, it is exposed on the street side, the roof side, and the top. That means more wetting, more freeze-thaw, and faster wear.

Once the coping joints open up or the mortar under the coping lets go, water gets into the core of the wall. The brick starts to shift, the parapet can lean, and the leak often shows up in the top-floor unit where it looks like a roof problem.

What we look for

• Loose, cracked, or missing coping stones or caps
• Open joints between coping pieces
• Brick that moves when pushed, or a parapet that leans
• Stair-step cracks and eroded mortar near the top of the wall
• Failed base flashing where the roof membrane turns up the wall
• Staining or leaks at top-floor ceilings along an exterior wall

Repair, partial rebuild, or full rebuild

If the brick is solid and only the joints and coping are failing, we tuckpoint, reset or replace the coping, and seal the joints. If a section has shifted or the brick is deteriorated, we take that section down and rebuild it. When the whole run is unsound, a full rebuild is the honest answer, and we will tell you so in writing.

The roof side matters as much as the brick

Most parapet leaks involve the roof-to-wall connection. We are a roofing and masonry crew, so we handle both: the brick and coping on top, and the modified bitumen base flashing and counter-flashing where the roof meets the wall. That avoids the back-and-forth of hiring a mason and a roofer who each blame the other.

If the roof itself is near the end of its life, it can make sense to rebuild the parapet and replace the flat roof in the same project so the new flashings tie into new masonry. For smaller roof issues, see our flat roof repair page.