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I found some interesting information on mortar from the PineHallBrick.com Buyer's Guide: "Mortar represents 20 percent of the total surface of a wall, so picking the right mortar color is very important to the overall look of your home.

Different mortar types and specifications are required for various applications and climates. The most common is called type S and is naturally gray in color. Mortar can be tinted to blend or to contrast with the brick color. It is important to keep mortar mixing and tooling practices uniform, especially when using colored mortar. A slight variation in mortar color can have a dramatic effect on the appearance of a finished wall. "

Talk with a masonry contractor to "discuss the mortar colors that look best with your brick color. Also, sand color will affect the finished look of your mortar color. Lighter color sands are generally recommended for lighter colored mortars. Inquire about the common sand colors in your area."

The mortar joint is also an important factor in the appearance and functionality of the wall. 'Tooling' the joints help seal the wall surface against moisture penetration. The concave, vee, and grapevine joints are best for exterior construction. These joint types compress the mortar at the surface and are the most weatherproof. Other joints are acceptable for interior use. "

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Labels: Brick Installation, Masonry Contractors, Mortar

From the Masonry Contractors Association of America website, this little nugget on the some of the myths on masonry:

"Masonry is often thought of as a facade or cladding material and not capable of supporting the entire structure. This is a myth. The fact is that structurally engineered masonry can bring great physical and economical strength to your buildings. When a masonry system approach is used, especially with a brick and concrete block cavity wall, you will find unequaled performance and satisfaction.

Another myth is that mason contractors and skilled craftworkers are undergoing a manpower crisis and that they are hard to line up for your projects. The fact is that the masonry industry is rebuilding its manpower strength through comprehensive apprenticeship schools throughout the country. Not only are new craftsworkers learning to construct new buildings, they are also learning the skills needed to retain the beauty of your historical structures.

Masonry has been the material of choice for shelter for thousands of years for a number of reasons including availability, thermal mass, fire resistance, durability and sustainability.

Ancient masonry buildings were load-bearing in the sense that masonry resisted all of the imposed loads.

Savings on Insurance Costs. Masonry provides the best fire resistance of any building material because it cannot burn, melt or bend. This fact is acknowledged by insurance companies and is reflected in the premiums for insurance on the building and its contents. The use of fire resistive building materials throughout provides maximum security for future business performance. Many businesses cannot survive the devastation of a fire and the interruption to their normal flow of goods and services.

Savings on Maintenance Costs. A masonry building requires a minimum of maintenance primarily because masonry does not rust, shatter, warp, dent, buckle or rot, and there is no need for cleaning or repainting. Consideration of the vulnerability to damage of building walls is also important. Whether a careless fork lift operator or strong winds with hail hits the wall, or a heavy object is propped against the wall, masonry can handle the abuse.

Contrary to a belief entertained by some, masonry construction is not slow. In fact, in almost every case, using a masonry system is a faster process. If the owner decides today to start that new warehouse construction can literally begin tomorrow. If footings take a day, brick and block from local sources can be on site and be laid down the next day. There is no lag time for shop drawings and off-site fabrication.

While discussing myths, let's not overlook the usual: 'hot and cold weather delays masonry too much.' As an industry, updated all-weather practices such as the All-Weather Council's 'Recommended Practices and Guide Specifications for Cold Weather Masonry Construction' have resulted in a much greater construction season without fear of weather damage or delay. The old practice of closing down during January and February becomes obsolete."

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Labels: Masonry Contractors, Myths of Masonry

Many people are never quite sure what all is involved in masonry work. I thought I would provide some definitions of what a masonry contractor does.

What Does a Stone Mason Do?
They specialize in construction with natural building stone or manufactured units such as brick, concrete block, adobe, glass block, or cast stone that is usually bonded with mortar.

Masonry can be used structurally or as cladding or paving. It is strong in compression but requires the incorporation of reinforcing steel to resist tensile and flexural stresses. Masonry veneer cladding can be constructed with adhesive or mechanical bond over a variety of structural frame types and backing walls.

Masonry is noncombustible and can be used as both structural and protective elements in fire-resistive construction. It is durable against wear and abrasion, and most types weather well without protective coatings. The mass and density of masonry also provide efficient thermal and acoustical resistance.

Brick, concrete block, and stone are the most widely used masonry materials for both interior and exterior applications in bearing and non-bearing construction. Stone masonry can range from small rubble or units of ashlar (a hewn or squared stone) embedded in mortar, to mechanically anchored thin slabs, to ornately carved decorative elements. Granite, marble, and limestone are the most commonly used commercial building stones. Glass block can be used as security glazing or as elements to produce special daylighting effects.

Masonry mortar is made from cement, sand, lime, and water. Masonry grout, a more fluid mixture of similar ingredients, is used to fill hollow cores and cavities and to embed reinforcing steel. Anchors and ties are usually of galvanized or stainless steel. Flashing may be of stainless steel, coated copper, heavy rubber sheet, or rubberized asphalt.

If you need to have masonry work done on your home, you can use our free service to find a local brick mason or brick installer!

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Labels: Brick Masons, Concrete Masons, Masonry Contractors, Masonry Definition, Stone Masons

Applications of Masonry
Masonry is commonly used for the walls of buildings, retaining walls and monuments. Brick is the most common type of masonry and may be either weight-bearing or a veneer.

Concrete block masonry is rapidly gaining in popularity as a comparable material. Blocks - most of which have hollow cores - offer various possibilities in masonry construction, generally providing great compressive strength, and they're generally best suited to structures with light transverse loading when the cores remain unfilled.

Filling some or all of the cores with concrete, stone or steel reinforcement (typically rebar) offers much greater tensile and lateral strength to structures.

Advantages of Masonry

• The use of materials such as brick and stone can increase the thermal mass of a building, giving increased comfort in the heat of summer and the cold of winter and can be ideal for passive solar applications.
• Brick typically will not require painting and so can provide a structure with reduced life-cycle costs, although sealing appropriately will reduce potential spalling due to frost damage. Concrete block of the non-decorative variety generally is painted or stuccoed if exposed.
• The appearance, especially when well crafted, can impart an impression of solidity and permanence.
• Is very heat-resistant and thus will provide grat fire protection

Disadvantages of Masonry

• Extreme weather may cause degradation of the surface due. This type of damage is common with certain types of brick, though relatively rare with concrete block. If non-concrete (clay-based) brick is to be used, care should be taken to select bricks suitable for the climate in question.
• Masonry must be built upon a firm foundation (usually reinforced concrete) to avoid potential settling and cracking. If expansive soils (such as adobe clay) are present, this foundation may need to be quite elaborate and the services of a qualified structural engineer may be required.
• The high weight increases structural requirements, especially in earthquake-prone areas.

Structural Limitations of Masonry
Masonry boasts an impressive compressive strength (vertical loads) but is much lower in tensile strength (twisting or stretching) unless reinforced. The tensile strength of masonry walls can be strengthened by thickening the wall, or by building masonry "piers" (vertical columns or ribs) at intervals.

Where practical, steel reinforcement also can be introduced vertically and/or horizontally to greatly increase tensile strength, though this is most commonly done with poured walls.

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Labels: Brick Masons, Masonry Contractors, Masonry Definition