Parapet Wall

A parapet wall is the top portion of a brick wall, usually extending above a roof. Parapet walls were originally used to defend buildings from military attack, but in more recent times they are used to enhance the aesthetic qualities of brick structures and to prevent the spread of fires from one part of a building to another.

This building is a stunning example of a 90-year-old masonry beauty in Oak Park which AAA-1 Masonry & Tuckpointing has had the great pleasure of restoring over the years. Notice the peaked and double-peaked parapet walls made of deep red brick and nicely contrasting terra cotta. A timeless classic.

1. Quarried Indiana limestone capstone with drip edge cut into the bottom rails of the stone to encourage proper water runoff.
2. Self-adhering through-wall flashing installed across the top of the rebuilt parapet wall provides waterproof protection.
3. Stainless steel drip edges installed between the top course of brick and the through-wall flashing greatly help to direct water out and away from the wall and add years of life to the project.
4. This rebuilt 100-year-old parapet wall is comprised of three wythes of brick. Three wythes of brick makes for a very dense and water-resistant wall. This is the roofside wythe of the wall.
5. This is the middle wythe of the three-wythe parapet wall.
6. This is the exterior wythe of the parapet wall (the wythe of brick seen from the street). This wythe of the wall is comprised of a dark red face brick from The Belden Brick Company in Belden, Ohio, known for manufacturing some of the country's most durable bricks.