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Serving Ankeny, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 963-5532
Ankeny Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor serving Johnston, IA with brick repair, foundation repair, tuckpointing, and chimney work - responding to new requests within 1 business day and providing written estimates before any work begins.
Johnston homes built in the 1980s and 1990s commonly feature brick veneer on the front facade, and that brick is now old enough for hail damage, mortar failure, and freeze-thaw spalling to become real problems. Our brick repair work matches existing mortar color and brick profile so the repair blends, not patches.
Johnston's full basement construction is standard, and the clay soils underneath those basements expand and shrink with every wet and dry season. Homes built on Johnston's cul-de-sac streets in the 1980s and 1990s are now seeing the long-term effects of that soil movement on poured concrete and block walls.
Mortar in central Iowa's climate typically holds 25 to 30 years before it begins to soften and pull away from brick. Johnston homes from the 1980s and 1990s are right in that range now. Repointing mortar joints before water penetrates the wall is the most cost-effective maintenance a Johnston homeowner can do on a brick exterior.
Johnston's freeze-thaw winters crack chimney crowns, open mortar joints, and let water into the flue liner. Many homes built in Johnston during the 1980s and 1990s have chimneys with original mortar that has not been serviced, and the damage accelerates fast once water gets inside.
Johnston's suburban streets have driveways, aprons, and sidewalks that face 30 or more Iowa winters over the life of a home. Concrete that was poured in the 1990s has seen enough freeze-thaw cycles to crack through and need section replacement or full resurfacing.
Lots on Johnston's hillier streets and along the graded subdivisions on the north side of the city often use retaining walls to manage grade changes. Clay soil without drainage backing will push those walls forward within a few years, and rebuilding with proper gravel drainage extends their life dramatically.
Johnston sits in Polk County on central Iowa's heavy clay soils, and that soil is the starting point for most masonry problems homeowners here encounter. Clay expands when it absorbs water - in spring, after heavy rains - and contracts when it dries in summer. That movement pushes on basement walls, shifts footings, and puts stress on anything sitting on or near the ground. The frost line in central Iowa reaches about 42 inches, and Johnston winters bring enough hard freezes and thaws to crack concrete and open mortar joints that would otherwise last another decade in a milder climate.
Johnston's rapid growth over the past 40 years means most homes here were built between the 1970s and the early 2000s - a housing era now hitting its first serious maintenance window. Roofing, siding, driveways, and masonry systems installed at original construction are reaching the end of their designed service life at about the same time. Brick veneer on front facades combined with vinyl siding on the sides and back is the most common exterior combination in Johnston, and the seams where those two materials meet are typically the first place moisture intrudes when maintenance has been deferred.
Our crew works throughout Johnston regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect masonry contractor work here. Johnston is just northwest of our base in Ankeny, and the Polk County soil and climate conditions are consistent with what our team handles on every job in the metro. For permitted structural work, we coordinate with the City of Johnston building department. The City of Johnston requires building permits for structural masonry work, and we handle that process on behalf of homeowners.
Johnston's planned subdivisions with curving streets and cul-de-sacs mean most homes here have similar layouts - attached two-car garages, full basements, and either all-vinyl or brick-and-vinyl exteriors. Whether your home is near the Corteva Agriscience campus, in a neighborhood near Johnston Town Center, or on a larger lot toward the northern edge of the city, we have worked on homes that look like yours throughout Johnston. The suburban lot sizes here - typically tight enough that equipment access requires some planning - are something we account for on every estimate.
We also serve nearby communities on a regular basis. Neighbors in Grimes to the northwest and Ankeny to the east can expect the same crew and the same standards - our service area covers the full northwest Des Moines corridor.
We reply to all new requests within 1 business day. Tell us what you are seeing - a crack in the brick, a leaning wall, a wet basement - and we schedule a time to come to your Johnston property.
We walk your property with you, explain what caused the problem and what fixing it involves, and provide a written estimate. For foundation or structural work, we include any permit costs in the quote upfront.
For any job that requires a City of Johnston building permit, we handle the application before we schedule the crew. No work begins without the permit in hand for jobs that need one.
Most Johnston jobs finish in one to three days. We clean up the site daily and walk you through the finished work before leaving, providing written warranty documentation you can keep with your home records.
We serve Johnston and northwest Polk County with in-person assessments, permitted structural work, and written estimates before anything begins. No obligation.
(515) 963-5532Johnston is a city of about 24,000 people just northwest of Des Moines in Polk County. It has been one of Iowa's fastest-growing communities for two decades, shaped by strong schools in the Johnston Community School District and major employers including the Iowa National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters and Corteva Agriscience. Families move to Johnston specifically for the schools and the community, and many stay long-term - creating a homeownership culture where property maintenance and improvement are the norm, not the exception.
The city is largely made up of planned residential subdivisions - curving streets, cul-de-sacs, and attached garages are the dominant pattern across Johnston's neighborhoods. The western and northern edges have slightly larger lots and some rural character, while the areas near Johnston Town Center and the Merle Hay Road corridor are denser and more established. Most homes here were built between the 1970s and early 2000s, making Johnston's housing stock a prime candidate for first-cycle masonry and concrete maintenance. Nearby Des Moines and the broader metro are all within our regular service area.
Restore your foundation's strength and protect your home from further damage.
Learn MoreBuild stable retaining walls that control erosion and define your landscape.
Learn MoreTransform any surface with the timeless look of natural stone veneer.
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 MoreJohnston homeowners can reach us by phone or online - we respond within 1 business day and come to your property before quoting anything.