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We provide masonry waterproofing in Cleveland, OH to protect brick, block, and stone buildings from water intrusion and freeze damage. Our services include clear sealers, elastomeric wall coatings, parapet waterproofing, and targeted repairs to keep your building envelope dry and sound.
Legendary Masonry Cleveland provides professional masonry waterproofing throughout Cleveland, OH, Ohio and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call 216-494-5935 or request your free quote.
Cleveland Masonry Waterproofing That Matches Our Weather
In Northeast Ohio, unprotected brick and block take a beating from lake-effect snow, road salt, freeze-thaw cycles, and high summer humidity. At Legendary Masonry Cleveland, our masonry waterproofing approach is built around the specific conditions your walls see in and around Cleveland, not a generic national formula.
We start by identifying what your masonry is actually made of and how it was built. A downtown brick commercial facade from the 1920s, a Parma split-face block retail building, and a Lakewood century home chimney all respond very differently to moisture and to coatings. Choosing the wrong product can trap water in the wall and accelerate damage. Our technicians check the brick or stone type, mortar hardness, joint condition, signs of efflorescence, and any prior coatings before we talk about solutions.
Because almost all local masonry problems tie back to water intrusion, we focus on controlling how moisture enters, moves through, and exits your walls. That means pairing the right waterproofing products with repair, repointing, and drainage corrections so you get a system that works in Cleveland’s climate and not just a quick cosmetic fix.
How Our Masonry Waterproofing Process Works
Legendary Masonry Cleveland follows a defined step-by-step process so your walls are dry, breathable, and protected for the long term.
1. Inspection and moisture mapping: We walk the property and mark staining, hairline cracks, spalled faces, soft mortar, and interior damp spots that line up with exterior issues. On basements and commercial walls we may use moisture meters to identify where water is actually penetrating.
2. Surface testing and compatibility checks: If there is an existing sealer or paint, we perform spot tests to see if it repels water, peels, or chalks. This tells us whether we need full coating removal and what type of new waterproofing will bond properly.
3. Prep and repairs: Waterproofing goes on only after the wall is sound. This can include grinding out loose mortar joints and tuckpointing with appropriate mix, patching spalled brick faces, replacing severely deteriorated units, sealing through-cracks with flexible masonry sealants, and correcting obvious defects like open parapet caps or failed counterflashing.
4. Cleaning: We wash the surface to remove dirt, biologic growth, and loose mineral deposits. The cleaning method varies: low pressure water and masonry-safe detergents for most brick, specialty cleaners for efflorescence, and non-acidic methods around limestone or decorative stone.
5. Product selection: Based on the wall type and your goals, we choose between clear breathable water repellents, masonry coatings, or full elastomeric systems. We never apply non-breathable products to historic or soft brick because trapped moisture in Cleveland winters will cause spalling.
6. Application: We apply by low-pressure spray, brush, or roller, following manufacturer spread rates and paying extra attention to tops of parapets, around window heads, control joints, and other leak-prone details. Multi-coat systems are allowed to cure correctly between coats.
7. Final inspection and documentation: After curing, we perform a water test where appropriate, document what products were used and where, then review maintenance expectations with you so you know how to protect your investment.
Waterproofing Materials and Coating Options We Use
Most Cleveland masonry performs best with breathable systems that let water vapor escape while blocking liquid water. Legendary Masonry Cleveland uses different chemistries depending on your wall type and exposure.
For residential brick and block, especially older homes in neighborhoods like Tremont, Ohio City, Lakewood, Cleveland Heights, and Old Brooklyn, we often recommend penetrating silane, siloxane, or blended silane/siloxane water repellents. These soak into the masonry, line the pores, and leave no visible film, so your brick keeps its natural look while shedding rain and snow.
For commercial concrete block, cast-in-place concrete, and some EIFS transitions, we may specify high-build acrylic or elastomeric coatings. These create a continuous film over hairline cracks and are ideal for multi-story apartment buildings and retail strips that take wind-driven rain from Lake Erie. With these systems, joint detailing, backer rod, and sealants around windows and control joints are critical.
Historic or soft clay brick often calls for specialized breathable mineral coatings or very light-duty repellents that respect the original fabric of the building. We are careful to avoid products that add excessive surface tension or trap salts, which is a common cause of flaking faces seen on older Cleveland row houses.
We also address horizontal surfaces, like chimney crowns and parapet tops, with high density waterproofing and sometimes fluid-applied membranes, since these flat areas are prime points of water entry into the vertical walls below.
Common Cleveland Masonry Water Problems We Solve
Most calls Legendary Masonry Cleveland receives for masonry waterproofing start with one or two visible symptoms that point to deeper moisture issues.
Efflorescence and white staining: That white, powdery crust or thick crystal build-up on basement walls, foundation block, or exterior brick is mineral salt being carried out by water movement. We remove the deposits, identify the water source, correct drainage or cracks, then apply the right breathable sealer so salts do not simply get trapped behind a coating.
Spalling and flaking brick faces: On the lakeshore and in heavily salted areas like around driveways and stoops, face bricks can pop or flake. We selectively replace severely damaged units, adjust mortar to be compatible, then install a water repellent that resists salt absorption while letting the wall dry out between freeze-thaw events.
Leaking basement block walls: Many Cleveland homes use hollow concrete block below grade. Water can enter through porous block, cracked mortar, or unsealed tie points. We repair cracks and joints, sometimes inject cracks with polyurethane where appropriate, correct exterior grading where needed, then use interior or exterior waterproofing approaches depending on accessibility and budget.
Interior musty odors and peeling paint: When paint bubbles or peels from inside masonry walls, especially in garden apartments or older duplexes, it often means vapor is being trapped. We strip failing coatings where feasible, let the wall dry, apply an appropriate waterproofing system, and help you choose breathable interior finishes that will not fail again.
Cost Factors for Masonry Waterproofing in Northeast Ohio
Masonry waterproofing costs in Cleveland vary widely, and Legendary Masonry Cleveland is upfront about what affects your price so you can make clear decisions.
Access and height: Single-story homes with simple access cost less than 3-story walk-ups or commercial towers that require lifts or swing stages. Difficult rear yards, tight side yards, or lakefront slopes can add set-up time.
Extent of repairs: Pure waterproofing on a sound wall is far cheaper than a project that needs heavy repointing, brick replacement, crack stitching, or parapet rebuilds. We separate the repair costs from coating costs on our proposals so you can see exactly where the money goes.
Product selection and warranty level: Penetrating sealers are usually more economical per square foot than high-build elastomeric or multi-coat systems. However, some commercial owners choose premium systems with longer manufacturer warranties. We will quote options when appropriate so you can balance upfront cost with lifecycle value.
Surface condition and preparation: Heavy efflorescence, peeling paint, or oily contamination require more labor and sometimes specialized cleaners. Skipping this step leads to early failure, so we discuss what level of prep is needed to make the new waterproofing actually last.
Project size: Small repairs, like a single chimney or a short foundation section, carry higher per-square-foot costs due to set-up and travel. Larger facades and multi-building complexes benefit from economies of scale.
What Cleveland Property Owners Should Ask Before Hiring
Waterproofing is one of those trades where shortcuts do not show up until the next hard winter. Legendary Masonry Cleveland encourages you to ask any contractor a few direct questions before you sign.
Ask what specific products they plan to use and request data sheets. If a contractor cannot explain why a product is appropriate for your type of brick or block and for our freeze-thaw climate, that is a red flag. You want breathable, masonry-rated materials, not generic concrete sealers or paint store leftovers.
Confirm how they will prepare the surface and address existing damage. A quote that only mentions washing and spraying a sealer might be cheap, but it will not correct cracked joints, failed flashing, or open coping stones that are actually letting water in.
Ask how they will protect windows, landscaping, and neighboring property during the work. Responsible waterproofing means controlling overspray, runoff, and access equipment, especially in tight Cleveland neighborhoods and shared commercial corridors.
Finally, request local references for similar projects. You should be able to see other Cleveland properties, residential or commercial, where their waterproofing has been in place for several seasons and is still performing.
Why Work With Legendary Masonry Cleveland for Waterproofing
Legendary Masonry Cleveland specializes in tying waterproofing to the full masonry system, not just applying a coating and leaving. Our crews are trained masonry workers, so they understand how walls are built, how they age in Northeast Ohio, and how water actually travels through brick, block, and stone.
We are familiar with the common construction styles in and around Cleveland, from brick veneers in newer suburbs, to solid multi-wythe masonry in older city neighborhoods, to concrete block commercial buildings. This local experience means we can quickly spot the details that tend to leak, like unsealed window lintels, poorly capped chimneys, or parapets without proper counterflashing.
Our proposals are detailed and itemized. You will see line items for repairs, cleaning, waterproofing type, number of coats, and any related sealant or joint work. There are no generic phrases like “seal exterior” without explanation of what is being used and how.
After the work is done, we explain realistic maintenance schedules. Penetrating sealers often last 7 to 10 years in our climate, sometimes longer on protected elevations. High-build coatings usually need periodic inspection of joints and touch-ups where building movement occurs. Our goal is to keep your masonry dry and structurally sound for decades, not to sell you the same job again in two or three years.
