Masonry waterproofing

Stop water before it becomes a structural problem.

Request a quote (773) 289-7541
Sealant joints Typical assembly, illustrated. Not to scale. Illustration: a typical window sill cut in section; failed sealant joints, the water path and white staining are shown before the work, then sealed after it.

Water is one of masonry’s greatest enemies.

NOVA Renovation approaches waterproofing as part of a complete building-envelope strategy, not as a cosmetic afterthought.

The work includes caulking and sealant systems, and the treatment of efflorescence and surface deterioration.

Stone veneer house gable with a large window
Stone veneer gable.

Where the water gets in

On a masonry wall, these are the usual ways in.

Illustration: a typical window sill cut by a section plane, the sealant open and salts on the wall below before the work, four parts keyed to the notes
Typical assembly, illustrated. Not to scale.

  1. Sealant joints

    Failed sealant

    Where masonry meets a window, a door or another material, the joint is sealed. Sealant that has split or pulled away lets water straight in.

  2. Openings

    Window and door openings

    Water that gets past the brick runs down to the openings, where flashing is meant to carry it back out.

  3. Masonry face

    A face that stays wet

    Brick and stone take up water. A face that stays wet wears faster, and shows it as staining and efflorescence.

  4. Mortar joints

    Open joints

    Failed joints can allow water penetration, accelerate freeze-thaw damage and compromise the masonry around them.

What water leaves behind

What you might notice outside, or inside the house.

Illustration: a closer look at a window sill, the open sealant joint and the white salts on the brick below marked 1 and 2
Typical assembly, illustrated. Not to scale.

  • Cracked or gapped sealant

    Caulk around windows and doors that has split, shrunk or come away.

  • White, chalky staining

    Efflorescence: salts carried to the surface by water moving through the masonry.

  • Damp, dark patches

    Areas of brick or stone that stay darker long after the rain.

  • Flaking or crumbling faces

    A surface that is breaking up, a sign of surface deterioration.

  • Open mortar joints

    Joints that sit deep behind the face, or are missing in places.

  • Water inside

    Stains on a ceiling or wall near a window, a door or a chimney.

A guide, not a diagnosis.

Describe it in a request

Where the wall opens

Openings are a common path for water into a wall. On this NOVA Renovation lintel replacement, the new steel has a drip edge, and a flashing membrane laps over it.

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.

Part of the building envelope

Waterproofing is not only a coating on the face. It is the joints, the openings and the details that carry water back out of the wall.

See the whole lintel replacement

Every way in, closed

Waterproofing as part of the building envelope, joint by joint and opening by opening.

  • Masonry waterproofing
  • Caulking and sealant systems
  • Efflorescence and surface deterioration treatment
  • Building-envelope repairs
  • Flashing over a new steel lintelLintel replacement
  • Mortar joint restorationTuckpointing
  • Masonry cleaningPower washing

Every project is approached with the same standard: understand the structure, identify the cause, specify the right solution and execute it precisely.

Preserve the architecture. Restore the performance.

773.289.7541
Request a quote NovaRenovationService@gmail.com