Limestone facade scope on a Logan Square greystone — coursework cleaned and repointed, fractured sills replaced with quarry-matched limestone, and the finished stone sealed.
Project Details
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After 
Before 1/3 — Entry steps — original concrete steps removed, natural limestone steps set in proper mortar bed
After 
Before 2/3 — Facade accent — limestone sills and lintels installed with proper sealant at all joints
After 
Before 3/3 — Front wall — natural stone veneer installed over drainage mat with back-butter mortar
A Logan Square greystone deserves limestone work executed at the level the building was built to. We cleaned and repointed the primary facade coursework, replaced three fractured window sills with quarry-matched limestone, and sealed the finished stone — craftsmanship in service of a building that has earned it.
Stone varies piece to piece; fitting it into a coherent, intentional elevation is what separates craft from coverage
Limestone in a freeze-thaw climate demands correct drainage and mortar specification from day one
Entry surrounds, water tables, and quoins are proportion work — details an architect drew precisely and expects built precisely
Every project follows the same disciplined sequence — no shortcuts, no hand-offs, same crew start to finish.
We source stone from regional quarries and match profile, finish, and color to the existing exterior or architect specifications. Samples are approved on-site before any stone is ordered.
We install the correct drainage mat and mortar bed for the stone type. Layout is planned to minimize cuts, manage joint lines, and protect against water infiltration at transitions.
Stone is set in proper mortar bed with back-buttering for full contact. Joints are pointed in matching mortar and tooled to the correct profile after initial set.
All stone is sealed with penetrant sealer after mortar cure. Movement joints and transitions are caulked with appropriate sealant. Final inspection documented before closeout.
Natural limestone and stone are the only exterior materials that get more beautiful over time. Installed correctly with proper drainage and sealed joints, limestone on a Chicagoland home will still look exactly right in 80 years. AMS selects quarry-direct stone and installs it with the same techniques used on historic buildings that have proven it across centuries.
Natural limestone is quarried full-thickness material. Manufactured stone veneer is a concrete casting of a stone texture. In Illinois freeze-thaw conditions, natural limestone significantly outperforms manufactured stone in both durability and appearance retention over 20+ years.
We seal all limestone and porous stone installations with penetrant sealer. In Illinois, sealing is not optional — it dramatically reduces water absorption and extends the maintenance interval to 5-7 years between reseals.
Often yes. Weathered limestone and natural stone frequently responds well to professional cleaning and resealing. We inspect first and give you an honest assessment — restoration is significantly less expensive than replacement when the stone itself is intact.
