If you need information on the decorative and construction uses of concrete, brickwork, natural stone and all other masonry topics, our experts have put together a great library of to help you. Whether you are building a home, a wall, a patio, or just pouring a new driveway, you will find helpful information here.
Unfortunately, your home doesn’t have to experience a direct hit by a tornado in order to be damaged. Since tornados can carry debris over great distances, it’s not abnormal for pieces of other houses, equipment and landscaping from another neighborhood to end up in your yard. If a tornado has recently struck in your area,...
Brickwork contractors are masons who specialize in using bricks to build structures. Highly skilled, these trades people have created some of the most beautiful buildings in the history of the world. The quality of the work of the best of these individuals is reflected in structures that are still fully operational after more than fifteen...
Concrete overlays are used in a number of different situations. Whether their purpose is to protect or maintain the integrity of a concrete slab, pavement, or floor, they provide a new surface, extend the life of a structure, and eliminate the need for complete replacement. The versatility of concrete also means that any cement overlay...
In the landscaping industry, hardscapes refer to paved areas like roads, streets, pathways walkways, and sidewalks. In an expanded definition, any area where the ground has been covered with any type of paving material is considered hardscape. Despite the harsh, industrial image this may bring to mind, hardscaping has evolved as an esoteric exercise, and...
Bricklayers are members of the masonry trade and specialize in working with brick and mortar. Training is from the ground up and covers all aspects of the field. Bricklayer Training Bricklayers are trained either through formal apprenticeships or with a combination of on-the job training and classroom work. In the United States, construction companies and...
Brick repointing is a process in which deteriorating mortar is removed from the joints of a brick wall and replaced with new mortar. There are four major steps involved in a brick repointing job: preparing the joint, mixing the mortar, filling the joint with mortar, and finishing the joint. Preparing brick for repointing All the...
Why own a concrete house? In the past decade, concrete has become more and more popular as the primary construction material for houses – by 2015, concrete houses are expected to make up 15-20% of new homes built. There are numerous benefits to concrete houses that make concrete a much better building material than nearly...
The first thing that needs to be addressed is that it is a huge mistake to install a cement countertop. A concrete countertop is what is needed. Cement and concrete are two different products. Concrete is the result when cement is mixed with aggregate (rocks and stones), water, and perhaps other binding agents; cement is...
Bricklaying is a type of building construction that involves setting bricks or stones in a mortar of some kind, in arrangements that run from a simple walkway, to buildings and other structures, to complex exterior designs. Bricklayers, or masons, sometimes specialize according to the type of material (brick, concrete, stone) or type of structure (residential,...
The use of concrete, brick, and stone when building a house can be expensive at the outset, but it both increases the sale value of the house and makes it look good in the process; hiring a professional brick contractor is necessary in order to get the most out of the investment. Because a number...