Porch Restoration
The Threshold of Chicago’s Homes
The porch is the handshake of a house — the first impression, the threshold where private
life meets the public street. In Chicago’s historic neighborhoods, porches were never
afterthoughts. They were built as grand entries: carved wood balustrades, cast iron
columns, stone steps leading to richly detailed doors.
But today, too many porches are failing. Time has taken its toll, but the greatest damage
has been inflicted by shortcuts and unskilled work: pressure-treated lumber replacements,
hardware-store paints, cement coatings poured over delicate details. These “repairs” erase
history, strip away beauty, and diminish the value of homes that once stood proudly among
Chicago’s finest.
At Guernica Restoration, we see porches as architectural heirlooms. Each one deserves
the same respect as the façades of Chicago’s civic monuments. By restoring them properly
— in wood, stone, and iron — we do more than repair a structure. We revive the dignity of
the entire building, and the pride of the owner who preserves it.
Historic Wood Porches
The Craft of Builders, The Stage of Families
From Victorian Queen Annes with turned balusters to Greystones with elegant staircases,
wood porches were the welcoming platforms of Chicago’s homes. Each spindle, rail, and
panel was designed not only for function, but as ornament in its own right.
The Problems:
• Rot from water infiltration, especially at base joints.
• Warping and splitting from decades of neglect.
• Inappropriate “repairs” with pressure-treated lumber or plywood.
• Loss of historic paint schemes, details buried under layers of latex.
Our Solutions:
- Selective replacement with cedar or white oak, milled to match historic profiles.
• Hand-turned balusters, columns, and rails reproduced from original patterns.
• Consolidation of surviving members, preserving as much original wood as possible.
• Paint removal with gentle methods, followed by historically accurate repainting with
Benjamin Moore historic palettes and Mad Dog primer for longevity.
Every step we restore is a stage where history lives again.
Stone Steps & Landings
The Enduring Foundation
Many Chicago porches rose from stone — limestone steps, sandstone bases, granite
landings. These materials were chosen for durability, but decades of salt, freeze–thaw
cycles, and cement “patches” have left them scarred.
The Problems:
• Spalling and cracking from Portland cement patches.
• Surface scaling from salt and weather.
• Movement and settlement, leading to dangerous instability.
• Loss of crisp edges, leaving steps rounded and unsafe.
Our Solutions:
• Careful removal of cement, replacing with lime-based mortars.
• Dutchman stone repairs, hand-carved to match profiles.
• Re-setting displaced stones on proper foundations.
• Protective shelter coats to slow weathering and preserve surface detail.
Stone once again becomes strong, stable, and noble under our care.
Iron & Metal Details
Strength and Elegance in Ornament
Cast iron railings, decorative grilles, and metal columns gave porches both strength and
beauty. From simple Greystone stoops to elaborate Victorian verandas, ironwork tied
structures together and announced craftsmanship.
The Problems:
• Rust and corrosion eating through railings.
• Paint layers burying delicate ornament.
• Anchors loosening, creating safety hazards.
• Inappropriate replacements with generic steel tubing.
Our Solutions:
• Rust removal and stabilization with conservation-grade techniques.
• Patina restoration, recreating historic finishes in bronze, iron, or steel.
• Structural reinforcement of anchors and joints.
• Custom fabrication of missing sections, modeled from surviving ornament.
When restored, ironwork regains its elegance — strength with artistry, security with beauty.
Chicago’s Porches: A Cultural Legacy
From the Victorian porches of Wicker Park to the Greystone stoops of Logan Square, from
Prairie School landings in Oak Park to South Side brownstone stairs, porches define our
neighborhoods. They are where families gathered, where neighbors met, where Chicago’s
culture unfolded.
To lose a porch is to lose a piece of the building’s soul. To restore one is to restore dignity,
heritage, and community pride.
Preservation at the Threshold
Your porch is not a disposable deck. It is the architectural handshake of your home, the
stage of its history, and the pride of your family.
With Guernica Restoration, every spindle, every stone, every railing is given the respect it
deserves. We don’t replace porches — we conserve them. We don’t cover scars — we heal
them.
Choosing Guernica means choosing to step onto history itself, restored to its fullest
beauty. Because you deserve the best, and your porch deserves Guernica.