Chimney Repair and Sweeping in Lockport, Illinois

Lockport was platted in 1836, the year work began on the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and it became the canal's headquarters. The Gaylord Building went up in 1838 of local limestone, and the Lockport Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1975, holds 59 buildings, mostly of that same stone. The city incorporated in 1853.

For a long time it stayed small: 9,401 people in 1990. By 2010 there were 24,839. The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 survey shows a median year built of 1998, with about 46 percent of homes built since 2000 and 37 percent in the 2000s alone, while about 12 percent are older than 1940. Gas heats about 92 percent of homes. So Lockport chimneys are either very old or quite new.

Old stone and brick near the canal

Older chimneys in the historic part of town were laid with lime mortar. Repointing them calls for mortar softer than the brick or stone, which the National Park Service's guidance on historic masonry explains; a hard mortar sends the stress into the old masonry. We check what the city requires before any work in the district and help you prepare photos and a scope.

Typical ranges: tuckpointing $500–$2,500, flashing $300–$1,800, top few feet rebuilt with a new crown $600–$1,000.

Newer homes: chase covers and gas fireplaces

The 2000s homes mostly have factory-built fireplaces, many of them gas, under a framed chase. Chase covers rust and pool water after about 78 freeze-thaw days a year (derived from NOAA 1991–2020 normals at O'Hare). A custom chase cover typically costs $425–$850, and a thermocouple $150–$350.

• Loose mortar on old stacks near downtown
• Rusted chase covers on 2000s homes
• Gas pilots that won't stay lit

Where we work in Lockport

Lockport Historic District · Downtown along the canal · North Lockport · East side · Southwest subdivisions