This page covers Andover Borough, the compact village, not the larger township that wraps around it. The two have separate municipal governments and separate building departments, so the first thing we confirm on any call is which side of the line the house sits on. If you live outside the village, see our page for Andover Township.
A village of older houses close to the street
The borough grew as a crossroads village, and much of its housing reflects that: older frame homes with front porches, modest side yards and steps that land a few feet from the road or sidewalk. These houses were built long before modern footings and drainage were standard. After decades of Sussex winters, porch piers lean, steps pull away from the foundation and brick chimneys lose their mortar near the top.
Front steps and porch bases
On an older village home, the steps and porch are what everyone sees from the road. When a set of steps rocks or a porch corner has dropped, we take the old work down to sound ground and rebuild on footings set below the frost line. New concrete steps can be faced in brick or stone with bluestone or light stone treads, so the entry fits the age of the house instead of looking like a patch job. Where a porch floor needs new support, we build block piers or a new foundation under it, and we also frame and roof porches when the structure above needs work too.
Brick, chimneys and old mortar
Many older homes here have brick chimneys, brick or stone foundations, or both. Soft historic mortar wears out first on the weather side. Our tuckpointing crew cuts out the failed joints and repoints with a mix matched to the original, rather than a hard cement mortar that can crack old brick.
Working on a small village lot
- Staging. Narrow lots leave little room for material. We plan deliveries so a pallet of block does not block your driveway for a week.
- Road edge. Steps and walkways near the road can bring extra rules. We ask the borough before we set a schedule.
- Matching the look. In an older village, new masonry should blend in. We bring samples of brick, stone and treads to the estimate.
- Hidden surprises. Old porches sometimes hide rotted framing or buried rubble. We open up a small area first when we suspect it.
Nearby and next steps
Andover sits along the route between Newton and the southern end of the county, and we also work in neighboring Newton and the rest of Sussex County. If your front steps or porch base are failing, request a free estimate and we will come look at the house in person.
