You sat through hours of apprentice school, and probably spent more time on a wall than you’d like to admit. While laying foundations or finishing that masonry basement, did you ever consider how the masonry trade developed? What about the tools you use e

The answer to this question is: “Absolutely!” Let’s get into it. Controlling Documents (A bit of history) The first edition of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-361, released in 2000, set forth comprehensive design and construction criteria f

Manufactured concrete masonry units have been present in the construction marketplace for over 120 years. They are ubiquitous and are made in virtually every country on earth. The development of high-performance masonry units currently available across th

A building’s exterior design and material selection impact all aspects of the final product, from indoor air quality to overall energy efficiency. When design-build teams aim to achieve a more energy-efficient building, material selection is the most cruc

Going back to around 7000 B.C., when the first bricks were made from a combination of mud and straw (highlighted because mud and straw are not part of the defined parameters of masonry) and then dried in the desert sun, the general process of how brick is

My name is Jack Phillips, and I was born and raised in London. I have since moved to Yorkshire, where I live with my family. However, the majority of my work predominantly remains in London.

I look at a well-functioning estimating department and think, as I imagine most do, of the age-old question: "What came first – the chicken or the egg?" How do you know how much it costs to do a job before you do it? The truth is that pricing a job is an

When it comes to building a more sustainable future, the construction and building materials sector has a lot of room for growth. According to the most recent data, construction and building-related emissions are responsible for 40% of greenhouse gas emis

Central Avenue Elementary School is a project that the team here at Warfield Masonry completed in 2021. Located in Midland, Washington, the project involved the demolition and replacement of the original Central Avenue School built in 1949. The original e

The world of masonry is evolving with the implementation of new technologies. These advancements are reshaping how this craft is taught, learned, and executed by merging traditional techniques with modern innovation to develop skilled masons prepared to m

How masonry technology has evolved is maybe one of the most loaded questions you can ask. As we all know, masonry dates back before the pyramids. Speaking about the evolution of technology since then would be unfair, so I am going to stress the developmen

As buildings age and their surrounding areas develop, masonry contractors may be approached to restore, repair, and reconfigure existing masonry on projects outside the typical scope of a new construction commercial project. Restoration of older masonry b

Efflorescence is a deposit of soluble salts on the surface of masonry, but it can sometimes be a telltale of larger issues.

Well-designed and well-installed weep vents in modern masonry are integral to the function of cavity wall veneers.