OFFICE BUILDING EXTERIOR MASONS

Lusitania Masonry is a full service masonry contractor for the NY tri-state area that specializes in masonry for commercial buildings, fireplaces, chimneys, stonework and so much more. Lusitania knows that the exterior of your business is probably the first impression you’ll make on a new customer or client. We routinely complete block, stone and brick commercial jobs of varying scales for our fellow New York buildings and businesses. Our main goal is to ensure the building owner gets exactly what they order in the masonry work. 

A Little About The Masonry Process

Masonry is commonly used for the walls of buildings, foundations and monuments. Brick masonry is the most common type of masonry and may be either solid or veneered. Buildings are most commonly veneered in brick dues to its strength and color characteristics. That brick will eventually get dirty from the air and the elements in the air.  

Brick Veneer Facades

Brick veneer construction has strength imparted by a framework of wood or a rough masonry wall of other material over which is placed a layer of bricks for weatherproofing and providing a finished appearance. The brick veneer wall is connected to the structural walls by “brick ties”, metal strips that are attached to the structural wall as well as the mortal joints of the brick veneer wall. There is typically an air gap between the brick veneer wall and the structural wall. As brick is not completely waterproof, the structural wall has a waterproof surface (usually tar paper) and weeping holes are left at the base of the brick veneer wall to ventilate the air gap. Veneered walls are often superior to solid brick walls because the core can be given characteristics different from that of the masonry exterior. For example, reinforced concrete or steel provides better structural support for buildings, and insulation or utility lines can be more easily included inside the wall.

Solid Brick Veneer

Solid brick masonry is made of two or more layers of bricks with the bricks running longitudinally (called “stretcher” bricks) bound together with bricks running transverse to the wall (called “header” bricks). Each row of bricks is known as a “course.” The pattern of headers and stretchers employed gives rise to different bonds such as the common bond (with every sixth course composed of headers), the English bond, and the Flemish bond (with alternating stretcher and header bricks present on every course). There are no significant utilitarian differences between most bonds, but the appearance of the finished wall is affected.