Cracks above your windows or doors? Bricks that don’t quite match after a repair job? These are more than just cosmetic problems—they’re signs your home might be dealing with deeper structural issues. In many older Milwaukee homes, failing lintels and mismatched brickwork are two of the most common masonry concerns we see.
Whether you’re dealing with sagging brick, crumbling mortar, or the ugly aftermath of a half-done repair, this post breaks down what’s really going on—and how to fix it the right way.
What Is a Lintel, and Why Does It Fail?
A lintel is the horizontal support that sits above openings like doors, windows, and garage bays. In masonry homes, the lintel holds the weight of the bricks above that opening—when it starts to rust, shift, or collapse, the damage shows fast.
Common signs your lintel is failing:
- Cracks running diagonally from the corners of windows or doors
- Bricks sagging or separating above an opening
- Gaps between the window frame and surrounding brick
- Bowing brickwork or uneven mortar joints
Milwaukee’s freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on steel lintels. Water gets in, freezes, expands—and slowly forces the surrounding brick to crack or fall away. If it’s not addressed, it becomes both a safety issue and a major repair bill.
Lintel Repair in Milwaukee: What We Actually Do
When you call us for lintel repair in Milwaukee, we don’t just slap mortar over a crack and call it a day. Here’s what our process usually includes:
- Carefully removing the damaged bricks
- Removing the old, rusted lintel
- Installing a new galvanized or coated steel lintel
- Rebuilding the brickwork above the opening
- Matching the brick as closely as possible to the existing wall
- Repointing mortar to blend the repair with the surrounding area
Whether it’s a small window or a large garage opening, we’ve handled it. And we’ll always give you an honest assessment before doing anything—if it’s not your lintel causing the issue, we’ll tell you.
Why Brick Matching Matters in Repairs
You’ve probably seen houses with obvious patch jobs—bricks that don’t match, stand out in color, or look like they were pulled from a completely different decade. It’s ugly, and worse: it can lower your property value.
Matching brick in Milwaukee is a challenge, especially with older homes and discontinued styles. But we’ve gotten pretty damn good at it.
How we match brick:
- Salvaging usable bricks from the original wall
- Sourcing from Milwaukee-area yards and salvage providers
- Using brick tinting and cleaning methods to adjust color when needed
- Repointing with mortar that matches your original tone and texture
Even if a perfect match isn’t possible, we make it close enough that most people never notice the repair. That’s the difference between repaired and butchered.
Who Needs Brick Matching or Lintel Replacement?
This isn’t just for century-old mansions. You’d be surprised how many 1950s–1990s homes in Milwaukee have hidden lintel issues or previous patch jobs that didn’t age well. You might need our help if you notice:
- Cracked bricks or sagging above garage doors
- Brickwork separating from window frames
- Water damage near brick sills
- Mismatched brick from past repairs
- Mortar cracking or falling out above an opening
If you’re unsure, we’ll take a look and let you know. No sales pressure—just a real answer.
Why Choose Us for Lintel Repair & Brickwork in Milwaukee?
We’re not a national chain or a faceless crew of subcontractors. We’re local, we’ve been doing this for years, and we show up when we say we will.
Here’s what you get with us:
- Free inspections and clear estimates
- Expert brick matching with local sourcing
- Full lintel replacement and structural stabilization
- Fast, respectful job sites—we clean up after ourselves
- No ghosting, no surprises, no hidden fees
We serve all of Milwaukee and the surrounding suburbs—from Bay View to Brookfield, from Shorewood to Wauwatosa.
Get It Fixed Before It Gets Worse
If you’re seeing cracks above your windows or doors—or a previous repair just doesn’t look right—it’s probably time to fix it. These aren’t problems that get better on their own. Whether you’re looking for a lintel repair company in Milwaukee or someone who can actually match your brick without making your house look like a patchwork quilt, we’ve got you covered.
Fill out our contact form or give us a call. We’ll come take a look, tell you what’s really going on, and if it’s a fit—we’ll get it done fast.