New Brunswick is a city of older housing. Close to the Rutgers campus and downtown, the streets are lined with brick and frame homes, twins and small multi-family buildings, many of them a century old or close to it. A large share are rentals, and that means front steps, porches and sidewalks take a lot of daily wear from students, tenants and deliveries.
Front stoops that take a beating
Concrete and brick stoops on older New Brunswick homes often sit right at the sidewalk. Years of salt, heavy use and freeze and thaw leave them cracked, loose or tipping toward the street. Railings work loose when the masonry around the posts breaks down. We rebuild concrete steps on a solid footing, or in brick with bluestone treads, and set new railings into sound material so they stay tight.
Brick fronts and repointing
Many older homes here have brick foundations, front walls, chimneys or garden walls with mortar worn back well behind the face of the brick. Once that happens, water gets into the wall and freezing does the rest. Tuckpointing and repointing cuts out the failed mortar and replaces it with a mix suited to the age of the brick. On older walls a softer mortar is often the right call, since a hard cement mix can damage old brick over time.
Sidewalks, walkways and basements
Lifted and broken sidewalk slabs are a common sight in older parts of the city, often pushed up by street tree roots. We remove the damaged sections and pour new concrete to match the grade. Where only the surface is worn, concrete repair and resurfacing can be an option.
The city sits along the Raritan River, and older basements on low ground can take on water. Damp walls are often a grading or gutter problem first. When the water is coming through the foundation, we offer basement waterproofing matched to the cause.
Planning work in the city
- City permits. Steps, sidewalks and structural masonry may need approval from the city. We find out what is required and take care of it.
- Tight access. Narrow lots and shared driveways mean careful planning for deliveries, dumpsters and concrete trucks.
- Tenants and neighbors. We keep entrances usable whenever we can and clean up at the end of each day.
- Historic areas. Some neighborhoods may have extra review for exterior changes. If that applies, we plan materials to suit.
We also serve Highland Park, North Brunswick and the rest of Middlesex County, including nearby Piscataway.
Need a stoop rebuilt or a sidewalk replaced before inspection? Get a free estimate and we will set up a visit.
