Masonry Materials: More Variety than Ever Before!

For many years masonry materials meant just a few things to most people: brick and stone.  They were used to build houses, public buildings, and other community projects.  As more and more people began owning homes and custom-creating their own landscaping and home designs, however, the variety of masonry materials grew with the need. Now, a homeowner looking to renovate a room or living space has dozens of different materials—like brick, stone, clay pavers, tiles, concrete pavers, to name a few— materials—and thousands of different colors, textures, and shapes to choose from. You can now cover floors and ceilings with brick, use clay pavers around the edges of doorframes, and find creative ways to use masonry materials to create unique home designs.

In outdoor living applications, masonry materials have also grown with the demand.  Hundreds of different options are possible in every yard and lawn space with the right application of masonry materials.  For example, you can terrace sloped yards with stone or brick retaining walls. You can build raised flower beds or add in water features like ponds and fountains.  You can even build a large outdoor custom kitchen or fireplace with the right materials.

With all the variety available, it is safe to say that if you can dream it, you can build almost anything out of brick, limestone, and other masonry materials! Dream big and start planning your next masonry project today!

Brick Paving: Make a Driveway Worth Talking About!

Brick paving is a great choice for driveways, but it is not used that often due to costs and installation time. Still, over time, a driveway made of brick paving can save you time and money. 

Consider the fact that most driveways are made of poured concrete slabs of some asphalt mixture. While these choices make sense initially, they also have some disadvantages. In a poured concrete driveway, for example, if part of the slab cracks, you will have to replace the whole surface. This can be expensive and time consuming (not to mention that it is a project that can only be done in warm weather).  Asphalt covered driveways need to be resealed often, which is a time consuming, smelly hassle. 

If you choose brick paving for your driveway, you will have a surface that is made of closely placed bricks that never needs resealing and can easily be repaired in any weather. If one of the bricks in the driveway cracks, simply pull it up and replace. This is a simple fix with a negligible cost. 

Brickpaving also looks fantastic on a driveway! You can choose from a variety of colors (red, cream, tan, grey, and many others) and also you can consider different textures.  You can complement the colors and design of your home or make a statement with a contrasting color of brick paving.

 

Before you spend many more time and money on your driveway, head on down to the local masonry materials store and examine their brick paving options. Soon, you’ll see how a driveway can be both economical, functional, and a beautiful part of the design of your home!

Limestone and Bathroom Beauty

Limestone is such a fantastic masonry material because it is strong, versatile, and lovely! You can use it in outdoor or indoor projects and it is easy to find in a variety of colors and shapes. It can be cut into tiles, for mosaics, patios, pool patio edges and surfaces, and hundreds of other applications. It can also be used inside the home to vary the looks of different rooms. 

One of the most interesting places for using limestone is in the bathroom. In this room, it is very hip to think beyond porcelain or all-over ceramic in terms of masonry materials.   One way to spice things up a bit is to use different sized limestone tiles all over the bathroom.  Apply large ones to the floor and in the shower.  Smaller tiles can cover the counter top or the outer surface of a raised sink. If you coordinate the colors and focus on limestone’s gray, brown, or tan hues, you will end up with a very organic, earth-tone space that is soothing and lovely. Of course, you can also create a dramatic look if you vary limestone tiles with ceramic ones, in blacks or blues for example, which will add both pops of color and an interesting texture contrast. 

Before beginning to dream your next bathroom renovation, rethink things from the ground up—and consider the many ways you can bring a natural, sustainable material like limestone into the room!

Concrete Pavers- A Must-Have for Patios and Outdoor Building!

The advantages of concrete pavers cannot be overstated. If you build your patios, walkways, pool edging, and other hardscape features with this masonry material, you will not regret the decision.  

From an economic standpoint, these pavers make more sense than using poured concrete for patios and other outdoor features. Certainly, the initial outlay of money may be a bit higher, depending on how many concrete pavers you need and what type you choose, but in the long run they will save you money.  If your poured concrete patio cracks for example, you will have to replace the entire thing. This means pulling up the old cracked slabs and then re-pouring the patio or walkway.  You will have to pay for labor (or take your own time) and then buy all the materials again.  If you use concrete pavers on the other hand, and one cracks or chips, all you need to do is pull up the broken piece 

Concrete pavers also make sense from a design point of view.  You can choose ones in a range of colors and styles. Circles, ovals, half-moons—these are all just some of the varieties of pavers that you can build and design with.   

So, for your next outdoor patio or walkway project, think about the possibilities of concrete pavers!

Find out More about Masonry Materials

Learning more about masonry materials can help you create the home of your dreams! Although it may seem like there is not much to learn about brick and stone, that is far from the truth! Within each type of masonry material, there are dozens of varieties of color, shape, and texture.  Further, different materials work better for some projects than others.  For example, it is a smart choice to build a retaining wall out of something like concrete blocks or landscape stone blocks, but it is not such a good idea to build the same wall out of a more porous, small masonry material like brick.  With that said, brick is wonderful for other applications— like covering the surface of a home—where concrete blocks just won’t do. 

The best way to learn about masonry materials is to visit a stone and concrete supply store. Once there, you will be get to explore the hundreds of different hardscape and softscape materials they have to offer.  Take the time to talk with professionals too, so you have a clear understanding of where each material is best suited.  Also, be sure to tell the professionals what sorts of projects you will be undertaking, what sort of home or yard you have, and what you are thinking in terms of labor (will you do this project yourself or have help), and cost.  Ask questions and enjoy yourself—there is more than you can possible imagine to learn about masonry materials!

Build a Fireplace for Year Round Outdoor Living

Although summer is an optimal time for outdoor living, autumn is also a beautiful time of year to enjoy your patio and yard!  While temperatures stay warm enough, you can still eat outside, play games, plant mums, decorate with pumpkins, and hang out with friends outside.  

As it gets cooler, however, you might want to think about building some additions to your patio and hardscapes.  Think about how much enjoyment you could get from a stone firepit or fireplace! This outdoor living fixture is easy to create and can be a simple project for a weekend.  Before building anything like this, however, you should consult with professionals. Visit your local masonry materials store and explain your outdoor living situation to them.  Tell them if you have a large or small patio, if you have a concrete slab or if you have used brick or clay pavers.  Be sure to mention what sort of functionality you see this firepit or fireplace having. Consider these questions: will you use it for small or large gatherings? Do you want to have bonfires? Do you want to cook food over it? Also, think about safety—if you have small children, you might want to opt for an enclosed stone fireplace rather than a large firepit. 

Whatever you decide to build, having a permanent place to build a fire is a sure way to make the most of outdoor living no matter what season of the year!