Illustration: a typical Chicago brick wall and roof chimney, drawn as a cutaway, showing the layers NOVA Renovation restores.

MASONRY. RESTORATION. CRAFTSMANSHIP.

Chicagoland’s Trusted Chimney & Masonry Experts

Building what lasts. Restoring what matters. Chimney, brick and lintel work across Chicagoland and the North Shore.

Request a quote (773) 289-7541
The same buff brick chimney after NOVA rebuilt the crown and cleaned the brick Buff brick roof chimney before the work, with a cracked and stained crown This chimney, before and after. See both photos

Licensed

Insured

Residential

Commercial

Historic

New construction

Based in Buffalo Grove, IL. Serving Chicagoland, including Glencoe and Chicago’s North Shore.

Restore the structure, not just the surface.

Masonry restoration requires more than replacing damaged brick or filling deteriorated mortar joints.

  1. Stack, crown, fluesChimney restoration and rebuilding
  2. Brick faceBrick restoration and repair
  3. Steel lintelLintel replacement
  4. Mortar jointsRepointing and tuckpointing
  5. Sealant jointsMasonry waterproofing
  6. Masonry facePower washing
  7. Your buildingRequest a quote

Typical assembly, illustrated. Not to scale.

Before and after.

Two NOVA Renovation jobs, shown the way they were found and the way they were left.

The same outdoor fireplace after restoration: clean firebrick, cleaned limestone and sound joints
Outdoor brick and limestone fireplace before the work: soot-blackened firebox, stained stone and worn joints
Before After

Outdoor brick and limestone fireplace

Problem
Soot-blackened firebox, stained stone and worn joints.
What we did
Cleaned, repointed and restored the masonry.
Result
Clean firebrick and limestone, with sound joints.
  • Stained stone
  • Sooty firebox

Drag the cut across the photo, or use the slider, to move between the two photos.

Buff brick roof chimney with a cracked, stained concrete crown before restoration
Before
The same chimney with a rebuilt crown and cleaned brick
After

Buff brick roof chimney

Problem
Cracked, stained crown and staining along the top courses.
What we did
Rebuilt the crown and cleaned the brick.
Result
A new crown and clean brick.
  • Cracked crown
  • Stained courses

Six services. One building envelope.

Roof chimney in blended brick with new caps
Roof chimney in blended brick, finished with new caps.

Stack, crown, flues

Chimney restoration and rebuilding

Protect one of the most exposed elements of your home.

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Chimneys experience some of the most demanding weather exposure on a building. NOVA repairs and rebuilds them for safety and function, from the brick stack to the crown at the top.

Chimney restoration Request a quote
Weathered multicolor brick pier with failed mortar joints
Weathered multicolor brick pier with failed joints.

Brick face

Brick restoration and repair

When the brick matters, the repair has to disappear.

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Brick is one of Chicagoland’s defining architectural materials. When it deteriorates, the solution needs to protect both the structural performance and the visual character of the property. NOVA provides brick repair, brick replacement and material matching for residential, commercial, historic and new-construction work.

Brick restoration Request a quote
Window opening in a brick wall with a new flashing membrane over the lintel
Window opening with flashing membrane installed.

Steel lintel

Lintel replacement

Protect the structure behind the facade.

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Steel lintels, shelf angles, masonry openings, parapets, and other structural components can deteriorate over time due to corrosion, water infiltration, movement, and environmental exposure. NOVA replaces failing steel lintels and repairs the structural masonry around the opening.

Lintel replacement Request a quote
Wall and limestone window sill
Wall and limestone sill.

Mortar joints

Repointing and tuckpointing

Precision mortar restoration for long-term masonry performance.

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Deteriorated mortar is more than a cosmetic issue. Failed joints can allow water penetration, accelerate freeze-thaw damage, compromise masonry units, and contribute to deterioration throughout the wall system. NOVA carefully removes deteriorated mortar and restores joints using appropriate materials, joint profiles, and installation techniques.

Tuckpointing Request a quote
Stone veneer house gable with a large window
Stone veneer gable.

Sealant joints

Masonry waterproofing

Stop water before it becomes a structural problem.

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Water is one of masonry’s greatest enemies. NOVA approaches waterproofing as part of a complete building-envelope strategy, not as a cosmetic afterthought. The work includes caulking and sealant systems, and treatment of efflorescence and surface deterioration.

Waterproofing Request a quote
The outdoor brick and limestone fireplace after restoration, with clean firebrick and limestone
The outdoor fireplace after restoration: cleaned, repointed and restored.

Masonry face

Power washing

Surface cleaning for brick and stone.

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Power washing removes dirt, soot and staining from the face of the masonry. The outdoor fireplace in the before-and-after above was cleaned, repointed and restored.

Power washing Request a quote

What are you seeing?

Pick what you have noticed. The drawing shows where it happens and which work addresses it.The card names the part of the building and the work that addresses it.

Whole building

Request a quote

Describe it in the request, or call (773) 289-7541.

Request a quote Read about it

A guide, not a diagnosis.

Every project is approached with the same standard.

Shown on a lintel replacement. Typical assembly, illustrated. Not to scale.

  1. Understand the structure.

    NOVA evaluates the masonry system’s condition.

    Window opening in a brick wall with a new flashing membrane over the lintel
    Window opening with flashing membrane installed.
    • Brick veneer
    • Stone lintel
    • Steel lintel
    • Flashing
    • Window head

  2. Identify the cause.

    NOVA identifies the source of deterioration. Steel lintels, shelf angles, masonry openings, parapets, and other structural components can deteriorate over time due to corrosion, water infiltration, movement, and environmental exposure.

    Opened brick above a window, showing a corroded steel lintel with failed mortar and debris
    Before: corroded steel lintel, failed mortar and debris above the window.
    • Corroded steel lintel

  3. Specify the right solution.

    NOVA develops a restoration approach appropriate to the building’s materials, age, architecture, and exposure.

    New steel lintel with a drip edge set over the window
    New steel lintel with a drip edge.
    Flashing membrane lapped over the new lintel
    Flashing membrane over the new lintel.

  4. Execute it precisely.

    Whether the scope involves restoring a historic brick facade, rebuilding deteriorated masonry, correcting water infiltration, replacing structural lintels, or constructing new masonry from the ground up, NOVA delivers workmanship designed to perform for decades.

    Finished window head: the stone lintel over the new steel, with fresh mortar joints
    Finished window head, the stone lintel over the new steel.

We don’t simply repair masonry.

We restore the integrity, character, and performance of the entire building envelope.

We treat every project with the same attention to detail and pride as if it were our own home.

Roof chimney in blended brick with new caps, framed in the shape of the NOVA mark
Roof chimney in blended brick, finished with new caps, seen through the NOVA mark.

Precision masonry for properties where quality is non-negotiable.

NOVA Renovation works with homeowners, developers, architects, general contractors, property managers, and commercial owners throughout Chicagoland.

Our experience extends from detailed residential restoration to complex masonry projects on substantial properties and high-value estates, including work in communities such as Glencoe and Chicago’s North Shore.

NOVA Renovation brings together traditional craftsmanship, modern restoration techniques, and an uncompromising commitment to quality. Based in Buffalo Grove, IL.

Preserve the architecture. Restore the performance.

773.289.7541
Request a quote NovaRenovationService@gmail.com

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