Frenchtown is a small borough on the New Jersey bank of the Delaware River, joined to Pennsylvania by a bridge at the foot of its main street. The town grew in the 1800s, and much of it still looks that way: Victorian era houses with deep front porches, brick commercial buildings downtown, and narrow lots that climb gently from the river toward Kingwood and Alexandria townships.
Porches are a big part of Frenchtown’s look, and they are also where a lot of our work starts.
Porches, piers and front steps
An old porch usually fails from the ground up. Brick or block piers settle, front steps pull away, and water gets into the framing. We rebuild piers and footings, then construct new front steps in brick, stone veneer or concrete with bluestone treads. Pro One also handles porch framing and roofing, so a porch that needs new steps, columns and a new roof can be done as a single job.
Brick and chimneys
Older brick houses and storefronts in Frenchtown need repointing as mortar wears away. Soft historic brick needs a mortar that is softer than the brick itself, or the faces start to crack and flake. We cut out failed joints and repoint with a compatible mix. Chimneys get repointed, recapped and rebuilt above the roofline when needed.
Foundations close to the river
Being right on the Delaware brings high groundwater, and some low lying properties are in flood zones. Stone and brick foundations here often show damp walls and washed out joints. We repair the wall, regrade where we can and add drainage or interior waterproofing. If your lot sits in a mapped flood area, flood zone rules may shape what can be built, and we confirm that with the borough.
Before you plan a Frenchtown project
- Porch work often reveals hidden framing damage, so we inspect before pricing
- Small lots and street parking mean careful staging
- Historic review may apply to some exteriors
- Matching old brick and mortar color takes test samples
Up the river, we also serve Milford, and inland we cover Kingwood Township and all of Hunterdon County. Ready to fix that porch or chimney? Get your free estimate.
