Western Specialty Contractors – St. Louis Masonry Branch has restored the façade of Southwestern Illinois College’s three-story main complex in Belleville, Illinois.

Founded in 1946, Southwestern Illinois College is a public community college in Illinois with campuses in Belleville, Granite City and Red Bud.

Western contracted with project consultant Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc. in May 2022 to restore and waterproof approximately 110,000 square feet of the college’s brick façade. The scope of work included cleaning the entire façade, replacing all sealants, tuckpointing, rebuilding damaged brick and applying a masonry water repellant.

Photo courtesy of Western Specialty Contractors

 

Masonry restoration and preservation is very important to the life of a building. Although building exteriors are made of durable and resilient materials, facades are constantly being affected by weather, climate and normal wear and tear.

Photo courtesy of Western Specialty Contractors

 

Due to the size of the project, completing the work during the college’s summer break was not possible. Western coordinated with WTI and college administrators to close areas around the building when school was in session to minimize disruption to students and faculty as much as possible while Western’s crews were working.

Western’s craftsmen were able to complete the project in six months and within budget.