Brick or Stone Window Sills 101:

Table of Contents

1. My brick window sills are cracked and are starting to crumble. Why is this happening?
2. I want to repair my cracked window sills. What are my options?
3. What are the pros and cons of replacing the brick with a stone window sill?
4. I have decided to replace my sills with brick/stone. What is the replacement process?

Window sills protrude away for the structural wall, and therefore are more exposed to environmental wear and tear. This is why sills tend to deteriorate faster than the rest of the structure. The greatest cause of environmental wear is moisture. Rain and snow do significant damage to brick that is unprotected and directly exposed. Common signs of brick damage include:

j Cracks - Cracking can occur along the surface of the brick only, or it can run the entire thickness of the brick.
k Spalding - This is where the front facing begins to break away from the rest of the brick.

Back to Top

I want to repair my cracked window sills. What are my options?

There are two main options when it comes to window sill repair:

j Rebuild the sills with brick.
k Rebuild the sills with stone linthal

Back to Top

What are the pros and cons of replacing the brick with a stone window sill?

It is quite common for stone linthal to be suggested when considering window sill replacement. Stone linthals are usually made out of limestone, and therefore have an exceptionally long wear life. Stone will last significantly longer than a brick sill will. Unfortunately, stone is more expensive than brick, so replacing the sills with stone is an investment. On the flip side though, a stone sill should not require replacement, while a brick sill will in 10-20 years. Another minor drawback to stone is colour selection. Limestone currently only comes in varying shades of grey. This may not always fit the artistic design of the structure exterior.

Back to Top

I have decided to replace my sills with brick/stone. What is the replacement process?

With either repair option, brick or stone, the mason first removes the damaged brick. The brick removal is usually done with a hammer and chisel. After the old sill is removed, the mason  inspects the surrounding bricks of the structure. It is important that any additional damaged brick be removed and replaced at this time. The area is measured and stone/brick are gauged/cut to fit. Mortar is then placed on the stretcher coarse (row of horizontal brick immediately below the old sill) and the appropriate number of brick/pieces of stone are placed to fit the sill. In the case of brick, the joints should be even spaced. With stone, normally one solid piece is used, so there should be no joints. Sometimes the length of the sill is greater than the length of stone available. In that case,  joints are broken evenly within the sill.

Back to Top

We are a masonry company that serves; Aurora, GTA (Greater Toronto Area) , Newmarket, Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Durham and York Region.