Brownstone looks solid, but it’s a soft sandstone. On a Hoboken row house, it’s often a thin face over a brick wall. In Jersey City’s historic districts, many row houses are brick with brownstone lintels and sills. When it flakes and peels, the fix is a skilled patch or resurfacing that matches the stone. CMB Jersey Shore Stucco and EIFS Repair & Installation has worked on Hoboken brownstones and on buildings across New Jersey and New York since 1985.
Brownstone forms in layers. On many old buildings, the stone was set with those layers standing up. The National Park Service calls this face-bedding. Water works into the gaps. In winter it freezes and pushes the face of the stone out.
You’ll usually see it first on stoops, sills, lintels, carved trim, and the base of the front wall. Most Hoboken row houses went up between the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Many that people call brownstones are really brick.
Matching stone is scarce. The Connecticut quarry behind most of New York City’s brownstone closed for good in 2012, and New Jersey’s brownstone quarrying faded in the early 1900s. Under New York City’s landmark rules, resurfacing brownstone with tinted stucco counts as a repair, not a replacement.
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission resurfacing method shows how careful the work should be:
The mix should not contain latex or acrylic bonding additives. And the weather has to cooperate. Landmark guidance calls for 45 degrees or warmer for 72 hours after the work. That makes brownstone patching mostly a spring through fall job.
Stoops take the hardest beating. Cement stucco is a common way to resurface Hoboken stoops because it wears better underfoot than soft brownstone. In New York City historic districts, the rules allow cast stone or stucco over masonry at stoops and areaway walls, with tighter limits for individual landmarks.
Before any front work, find out if your building is protected. In New York City, a landmark or historic district building usually needs an LPC permit and approved samples. Hoboken’s Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior work visible from the street in local historic districts. In Jersey City, work in districts like Paulus Hook, Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, and Harsimus Cove goes through the Historic Preservation Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
CMB has worked on brownstones in Hoboken and takes on projects across Jersey City, Bayonne, and Manhattan. Many row houses hold several units, so our multi-family stucco work and commercial stucco services often overlap with brownstone repair. Single-family row houses fall under our residential stucco work. For tough color blends, see how we handle stucco color matching.
Flaking stoop or peeling front? Call CMB at (732) 400-4020. Send photos of the worst spots and tell us if the building is in a historic district.
Do you work on brownstones in Hoboken?
Yes. CMB has worked on brownstones in Hoboken and takes on projects across Jersey City, Bayonne, and Manhattan. Call (732) 400-4020 to talk through your building.
What time of year can brownstone be patched?
Mostly spring through fall. Cement-based patches need steady warmth to cure. NYC landmark guidance calls for 45 degrees or higher for 72 hours after the work.
Will a brownstone patch match the old stone?
A good patch should. The color goes into the final coat, often with crushed stone, and the surface is tooled to match. Ask to see a sample next to the real stone first.
Do I need a permit to repair my brownstone?
It depends on the building. In New York City, landmarks and historic district buildings usually need an LPC permit for facade repair. Hoboken and Jersey City have their own historic review. Check with your city before work starts.
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We purchased an older home and knew it was in need of stucco repair. During the first few months, we had a bunch of stucco contractors out to look at the job but none were sure we would end up with a result we were pleased without spending thousands! Jersey Shore Stucco was able to offer a very competitive price and started on the work right away. They matched the exterior paint to the rest of the house and a year later, you still can’t tell where the damage was! We would definitely recommend them, and plan to use them going forward for any stucco needs.
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Jersey Shore Stucco was able to help with
repairs caused by a recent tropical storm. They came and inspected the damage and made me feel very comfortable that they could get the job done right. The craftsmanship was beautiful. It’s a perfect match and you can’t even tell where the damage was before.
-Peter W.
Having worked over 20 years on the field, we at Jersey Shore stucco, have been perfecting the art of standardized and/or customized stucco finishes.
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