Some of the world's most significant architectural achievements have been built with masonry. The Egyptian Pyramids, the Colosseum in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China could not have been built without skilled masons.
When you lead a busy lifestyle, it may be all you can do to keep up with the regular maintenance inside your home. Let’s talk about how the right masonry contractor can help keep your home’s exterior looking great.
You've probably heard the term hardscape, but do you know what it means? A hardscape is a manmade structure in an outdoor location. Concrete driveways, brick walls and wooden fences are all hardscapes.
Before you finalize any plans for outdoor masonry work, don't forget to check with your homeowners association about construction restrictions so you don't get fined for breaking the rules.
Did you know that masonry materials are naturally insulating? This is one of the reasons that builders, contractors, and homeowners love masonry so much. Less insulation means that there is less insulative material needed, which saves substantial amounts of money during the building process.
The dry-press shaping method for bricks uses a thick clay mix to form its accurate, sharp-edged bricks. It uses significant force to press and is fired for a longer time, making this method more costly.
Concrete bricks are usually referred to as blocks. They are made using dry concrete that is then formed in steel molds by compaction and vibration in a static machine.
Did you know? Brick homes typically have higher resale value than homes with other types of exterior siding. If you’re remodeling or building a new home, consider masonry work for its future value.
I’ve been considering utilizing masonry for my next build, but I’m worried about durability. Don’t be! Masonry builds are durable and strong, and the materials can withstand the elements and other potential outside damage.
If you are thinking about have new siding installed on your house, consider brick. It is durable, looks nice, and increases the value of your home as much as a third more than wood siding.
Brickwork is a solid form of construction, built to be durable and strong. Not only that, but brick walls require minimal maintenance. Even better, they resist wear-and-tear caused by the elements and/or daily life.
Brickwork is the most common type of masonry, as it is used in the construction of homes and other public buildings such as schools. Having brickwork in a building is economical because it provides excellent insulation and it usually allows the owners to save on costs, as painting can be optional.
Masonry work requires precision placement and a good understanding of structure and design. Care to guess what other important feature characterizes a mason? If you guessed physical strength, you're right. Bricks and stones are heavy, and working with them every day requires strength and stamina.
It’s important to remember that the way your fireplace looked when you moved into your home isn’t the way it must look the entire time you live there. If you’re interested in updating the style of fireplace, we may have a few ideas.
A lot is resting on your foundation, quite literally. Masonry foundations not only give your pillars and buildings great support, they also give them a great look and style. Because they're made out of rock and stone, you know they can stand up to weather.
Ever hear of Ashlar? This type of masonry makes use of finely cut and squared stone laid adjacent to each other. This painstaking technique is no simple task, but in the hands of an expert mason produces beautiful results.
What two materials are most often used with mortar in masonry applications? If you guessed concrete blocks and conventional bricks, you're right. Mortar is used to fill in the gaps and bind the blocks together into walls and other structures.
If you'd rather not tear up existing concrete because of the mess it will make, there's another way of getting a brand new look. Resurfacing old concrete is a great way to rejuvenate your walls or your driveway as it leaves less of a mess and takes half the time.
Are you concerned that a repair to the brick exterior of your home is outside of your ability to handle? Working with a masonry contractor can ensure that repairs are handled in a way that won’t detract from the appearance of the rest of the structure.
A major benefit of masonry walls is that they provide a permanent structural fire barrier that is totally non-combustible. In fact, masonry walls have been tested in conditions of up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The strength of a masonry wall is not completely dependent on the bond between the building material and the mortar. The friction between the interlocking blocks of masonry can be strong enough to provide strength on its own.
I’ve been considering utilizing masonry for my next build, but I’m worried that it will not last very long. Cast your worries aside. The materials, particularly limestone, can potentially last up to a few hundred years.
Ancient masons were part of an elite guild and after an in-depth apprenticeship could be called one of three names. An apprentice was a mason new to the art, a journeyman was a mason who had been practicing though not long, and a master mason had been plying his craft for many years.
A general rule in brickwork is that the vertical joints between bricks should not align on successive course (horizontal rows). Traditional brickwork also improved tensile strength by making sure the wall was at least two bricks thick, though this is somewhat altered in modern designs.