Brick installation done right produces a 75-year facade. Done poorly, it becomes a 15-year repair project. Here is what separates the two in Chicago's climate.
Brick installation is one of the most technically demanding trades in residential construction. The difference between a 75-year facade and a 15-year repair project often comes down to decisions that are invisible once the work is complete — material grade, mortar type, wall tie spacing, and weep hole placement. Understanding these factors is the most important thing a homeowner can do before hiring any masonry contractor in Chicagoland.
Material selection is the foundation. SW-grade (severe weather) full-bed clay brick is the required standard for exterior applications in Illinois — not a premium upgrade, the baseline. The freeze-thaw rating difference between SW and MW (moderate weather) brick is the reason one product lasts 75 years in Chicago and the other begins failing within a decade. Thin brick veneer products carry similar risks that most installers will not volunteer information about.
Installation mechanics are equally critical. Wall ties must be spaced at maximum 16 inches vertically and 24 inches horizontally — code minimums that are sometimes insufficient for Chicago's wind load requirements. Weep holes at the base course allow moisture that enters the system to exit before it causes interior damage. These details are invisible after completion, which is precisely why they get skipped by crews who know no one will check their work.
AMS has been installing brick across Chicagoland since 2007, from Northbrook to Oak Park, from Naperville to Chicago's North Side. Every installation includes documentation of the brick supplier lot numbers, mortar type, and wall tie specification used — so future repairs can be matched exactly. That level of documentation is not standard practice in this trade, but we consider it the baseline of professional work.
