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Serving Ankeny, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 963-5532
Ankeny Concrete & Masonry provides masonry contractor services to Clive homeowners, covering tuckpointing, chimney repair, brick repair, and foundation work. We respond within one business day and have worked on homes throughout Clive since 2018.
Clive homes built in the 1970s and 1980s are at the age where original mortar joints have taken 40 or more years of Iowa freeze-thaw cycles. Our tuckpointing service removes the failing mortar and repacks each joint properly, stopping water infiltration before it reaches your wall cavity or foundation.
Ranch and split-level homes - the dominant housing style in Clive - commonly have fireplaces with masonry chimneys that are now several decades old. Iowa winters push water into chimney mortar joints at the top where rain and snow collect, and left untreated that damage works its way down into the firebox and flue.
Clay-heavy soil in the Clive area holds water instead of draining it, which puts sustained pressure on foundation walls after every heavy rain. Homes with concrete block or poured concrete foundations can develop cracks and bowing over time, especially in neighborhoods with mature trees whose roots also shift the surrounding soil.
Many Clive homes from the 1980s and 1990s have brick veneer fronts paired with vinyl siding on the sides and back. The brick veneer is cosmetic but still needs maintenance - spalled or cracked bricks on the front face are common after years of temperature swings and hail, and replacing them keeps water out of the wall assembly behind the brick.
Older sections of Clive near NW 86th Street have homes from the 1960s and early 1970s with full-brick construction that may not have had any masonry work done since they were built. Comprehensive masonry restoration brings aging walls back to a weathertight condition and extends the life of the original brick.
Clive lots on the edges of Walnut Creek and other low-lying areas often have graded slopes where the lawn drops toward a neighbor's property or a drainage way. A properly built masonry retaining wall stabilizes those slopes, prevents erosion, and gives homeowners usable flat yard space along the Greenbelt corridor and similar areas.
Most of Clive's housing stock was built between 1970 and 2000, which puts the majority of homes right in the range where original masonry is beginning to show its age. Mortar joints from that era have now endured 25 to 50 years of Iowa winters - each one cycling above and below freezing dozens of times. That repeated freeze-thaw movement is the single biggest factor in mortar failure in central Iowa, and Clive homes are squarely in the affected window. Ranch-style homes with brick veneer fronts, masonry chimneys, and concrete stoops are showing the same patterns: crumbling mortar joints, small cracks at wall corners, and efflorescence on brick surfaces where water has been moving through.
The soil underneath Clive properties compounds the problem. Clay-heavy soil throughout this part of Polk County absorbs rain and holds it near foundations instead of draining it away. When that wet clay freezes in winter, it expands and pushes against concrete slabs, sidewalks, and foundation walls. The result shows up every spring: heaved driveway sections, cracked walkways, and foundations that have shifted slightly from where they were set. Homes near Walnut Creek and the Greenbelt trail corridor, where drainage is already limited, tend to see more of this than properties on higher ground. A masonry contractor who knows Clive understands these soil and drainage patterns and accounts for them in how the work is designed and built.
Our crew works in Clive regularly, pulling permits through the City of Clive Community Development office when the scope of work requires one. The permit process for structural masonry in Clive is straightforward, and we handle the application so the homeowner does not have to manage that paperwork. The homes we work on most often here are the ranch and split-level builds from the 1970s and 1980s - properties with brick veneer fronts, masonry chimneys, and full or partial basements that are starting to need real attention after decades of Iowa weather.
Clive is a city with a strong sense of place. The Greenbelt trail along Walnut Creek is the green thread that runs through many neighborhoods, and the NW 86th Street corridor is where most residents do their daily errands. Homes near the Aquatic Center and in the established neighborhoods east of 86th have the older housing stock that tends to need the most masonry work. Newer subdivisions on the western edge of the city are still relatively young but are reaching the age where first-round maintenance is starting to show up.
We also serve Waukee and Urbandale, two neighboring communities with similar housing patterns. If you have a neighbor or family member in either city who needs masonry work, we can often schedule both visits on the same trip.
Reach us by phone at (515) 963-5532 or through the contact form. We respond within one business day and will schedule an in-person visit at a time that works for you - no waiting a week to find out if you can even get someone out.
We visit the property, look at the actual condition of the masonry, and give you a written estimate with a clear price and timeline. We tell you exactly what needs to be done and why, so you can make an informed decision - no pressure, no upselling.
Most tuckpointing and brick repair jobs on Clive homes take one to three days. We work cleanly, protect plants and nearby surfaces from dust and debris, and keep you updated if anything changes during the job.
When the work is done, we walk through it with you. If you have questions about what was done or what to watch for in the future, we answer them before we leave. We want you to feel confident about the work, not just handed an invoice.
We serve Clive, IA and the surrounding area. Free estimates, written quotes, and responses within one business day.
(515) 963-5532Clive is a city of about 17,000 people sitting just west of Des Moines, bordered by West Des Moines to the south and Urbandale to the north. Most of its growth happened between 1970 and 2000, giving the city a cohesive suburban character built around single-family owner-occupied homes. The Greenbelt trail system along Walnut Creek is the defining feature of many neighborhoods, connecting parks and greenspace through the heart of the city. The NW 86th Street corridor serves as the commercial spine, lined with the restaurants and shops residents use daily. According to the City of Clive's Wikipedia article, Clive is consistently ranked among the wealthiest cities in Iowa, with high homeownership rates and median home values that reflect the long-term investment residents make in their properties.
The housing stock here is dominated by ranch-style and split-level homes from the 1970s and 1980s, with brick veneer fronts and concrete driveways that have now weathered several decades of Iowa winters. Newer subdivisions on the western edge of the city, built from the 2000s onward, have larger footprints and two-to-three car garages with more complex rooflines. Both eras of homes are well-maintained - Clive residents tend to stay put, especially families drawn by the West Des Moines Community School District. Neighboring West Des Moines shares similar housing patterns and is another area where we work regularly.
Restore your foundation's strength and protect your home from further damage.
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Learn MoreConstruct solid, long-lasting concrete block walls for any application.
Learn MoreInstall reliable block foundation walls built to support your structure.
Learn MoreDesign and build a custom outdoor kitchen built to last all seasons.
Learn MoreCreate a safe, beautiful walkway that enhances your property's curb appeal.
Learn MoreBuild handcrafted brick walls that add character and lasting value.
Learn MoreRepoint brick joints to stop water intrusion and restore structural integrity.
Learn MoreCall or send a message today - we respond within one business day and serve all of Clive and the surrounding Polk County area.