[Posted on September 12, 2011]
The Many Advantages of Concrete Pavers
While many people think of concrete as just a slab that can be poured, it is actually quite a versatile masonry material for creating unique, beautiful outdoor living spaces. Concrete pavers in particular are very useful in building patios, walkways, water features, and edging flower beds. They can also be included as part of hardscape designs such as outdoor kitchens and seating areas.
One of the biggest advantages of the concrete paver over the concrete slab is ease of repair. When pouring a slab, it is usual to cover a large area with concrete and wait for it to dry. Over time, this concrete can crack and chip. To replace it, most if not all of the old slab has to come up. Then, new concrete needs to be poured on top it. When using concrete pavers, on the other hand, you are building with smaller pieces. They can still be used to create a wide, closely connected patio space; but, what is significantly different here is that if a concrete paver cracks or breaks, it is a simple and cheap fix to replace just it, not the whole patio.
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[Posted on August 24, 2011]
Reconsider the Possibilities of Brick!
Brick is an amazingly versatile masonry material! If you walk through any city or town, a quick look around should be sufficient to see its many colors and uses. In the small township of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, for example, on one corner alone, bricks are everywhere. Red ones make up the traditional looking grocery store; gray, painted ones give color to a cozy cottage; tan ones front a modern office building; white and cream ones make up the façade of an attorney’s office; and light red ones accent all the townships’ sidewalks and flower beds. They are also a part of a fountain and bandstand near the library. It is really quite incredible how many different ways this material can be used!
In your own home and yard, you can also capitalize on bricks’ diversity. A trip to the local building supply store will show you the dozens of types that they sell. As you look over the many colors, think about what specific projects you need the materials for. Then, think about ways the colors can complement each other.
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[Posted on August 8, 2011]
Beautify Your Side Yard with a Landscape Stone Rock Garden
There are many uses for a masonry material like landscape stone in the front and back yards of your home. It makes lovely limestone or brick paths, which can march directly from your patio or driveway to your door or this type of stone can also create paths that meander lazily around your garden. In its smaller, chip form landscape stone can replace mulch in plant beds and as edging in walkways. It can also be used to make terraced yards in the form of stone retaining walls. These yards are especially stunning in small city residential green spaces and yards where beds of lush, hanging plants are fronted by natural looking stone which instantly raises the curb appeal of a home. Landscape stone retaining walls are also useful in sloped backyards where they can create more outdoor living space.
Another attractive option for landscape stone is to bring it into your side yard and create a type of rock garden with a few plant accents. This works especially well in smaller side yards. The first thing to do when building this type of garden is to consider the shape of the bed in the middle of it. You can choose a square, a rectangle, a circle or other shapes. Ultimately, in a small yard a rectangular centerpiece is the best choice because it is easy to shape and fill around. Once you have a shape in mind, think about how you can use landscape stone within that center feature. Edge with large stones and then plant flowers, shrubs, or even small trees within this center bed. Fill the areas around the plants with small chips of landscape stone (like small gray or blue limestone pieces or even chips of red bricks and other stones). Then, it is time to consider what you can do with the space around the center. With a rectangular centerpiece, you can build out several stone borders and paths. Using bricks, limestone, clay pavers, and other types of landscape stone will help create texture and a visually interesting space. Feel free to plant flowers and other plants through these rows of stone, but be sure to contain those plants in discrete, small beds with edging so you do not encourage weeds to sprout up throughout your rock garden. Also, if you want more of a Zen-rock garden type space, do away with the plant aspect all together and just focus on using landscape stone in different combinations and colors.
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[Posted on July 27, 2011]
Do-it-yourself Thin Brick Renovations
Whether you are looking to renovate the inside or outside of your home, the first thing that you may think of is cost. Considering the costs of contractor labor, materials, removal of old materials, and other associated renovation expenses can be daunting. This is one compelling reason to opt for a do-it-yourself indoor or outdoor renovation using an adaptable masonry material like thin brick. With self-sufficiency, ease, and affordability as the driving factors of your renovation, then the question becomes: what can I realistically do on my own? Believe it or not, it’s surprisingly easy to change the look of many places in your home with thin brick.
In the living room, dining room, kitchen, or den, you can apply thin brick to a full wall for a more urban, exposed brick look. With the wide range of colors—white, gray, red, cream, and combinations of those colors—that thin brick comes it, you will be able to effortlessly match your furniture and décor. You could also place thin brick around a fireplace to create a more traditional look. Thin brick splash backs are also popular kitchen renovations. You can also line doorways with thin brick or cover entire kitchen island with it for a distinct look.
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[Posted on July 12, 2011]
Limestone Tiles: Excellent Renovation Tools!
When you think about renovating your kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor living space, there are many great options in terms of masonry materials. You can add a limestone tile backsplash above your oven. Or you can use thin brick for covering the base of a kitchen island or even an entire wall. Concrete can also be used on floors (with a nice finish to add color and texture), countertops, and in other places throughout your home.
While brick and concrete offer much versatility, a material that is sometimes overlooked is limestone. This is unfortunate because limestone is equally as versatile as brick and concrete. It is also durable enough to withstand normal wear and tear in a home and it offers an interesting color palate, which can really make your renovations stand out.
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[Posted on June 30, 2011]
Concrete Products: Helpful Inside and Outside Your House!
When you think of building with concrete products, chances are that you think of outside uses. Concrete slab patios, walkways and steps, concrete pavers, concrete block retaining walls, and concrete flower bed edging are all fantastic uses of this versatile material. Another place where concrete products can be useful, however, is inside your home. Because concrete is durable, comes in many colors, and is sustainable, it makes a great indoor masonry choice as well.
Depending on what you are building, concrete blocks offer the one of the best ways to incorporate concrete products into your home. Anywhere you might need block surfaces is a great place for concrete. Think walls, kitchen islands, room dividers, and even unique shelving options within any room. The durability of concrete is unquestionable. For example, if you build a recessed shelving unit out of concrete, it can withstand the weight of both books and climbing toddlers far better than an average wooden bookshelf. Likewise, in high traffic areas, like the kitchen, a concrete block island will weather spills, dings, and other normal wear and tear.
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[Posted on June 16, 2011]
Clay Pavers: A Great Choice for Every Yard
Building a beautiful yard is something that takes time, planning, and the right material. Whether you are planning a large backyard outdoor living space or just a small walkway or flower bed, clay pavers are a wonderful masonry material for your needs. These pavers are versatile, easy to install, durable, affordable, environmentally friendly, and beautiful.
Clay pavers can be used for many projects. Choose them for patios, walkways, water features, and other outdoor accents. Building with clay pavers is relatively simple. You do not need to worry about pouring in a mold, grouting, or weather conditions. Because these pavers come to you dried and ready to go, you can install them in rain, snow, wind, or hot summer days. All you need to do is clear and level the area you want them in and then place them accordingly. To build a clay paver patio, for example, you merely need to dig the patio space (removing grass from the area), smooth it to a level foundation, and then arrange the pavers close to each other. If you place them closely enough, weeds should not be a problem. The same building principles apply for sidewalks and flower beds. You can also use these pavers to edge already existing parts of your yard. Place them around a poured concrete patio and you instantly have given your yard an updated look.
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[Posted on June 1, 2011]
Beauty, Elegance, and Surprising Design Potential: Thin Brick Accents and Renovations
Thin brick is a wonderful choice for indoor accents and renovations. Easy to install, eye-catching and durable, it is the perfect way to jazz up a room or just change things around a bit. It can be easily affixed to walls, countertops, floors, ceilings, chimneys, and fireplaces. What is perhaps best about thin brick, however, is the sheer variety it comes in and its versatility as a design material.
If you are hoping to cover a living room wall in thin brick, for example, but you have decorated the rest of the room in neutral colors, there is no need to despair. Thin brick comes in more shades than just red. Grays, whites, and a mix of white-black-and gray bricks are just some of the options that will compliment lighter colored rooms. On the other hand, in a different room, an office or kitchen perhaps, where dark reds, greens, blacks, and browns might dominate, shades of red thin brick can make powerful accents. In a bathroom done in blues, greens, or similar colors, choose a brick style like Mountain Stone (which is textured to look like limestone) to add an organic feel to the room.
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[Posted on May 18, 2011]
Spring into Summer with Outdoor Living Renovations!
Summer is just around the corner and to many people this means cleaning off the grill, planting fresh flowers, getting out the patio furniture, buying new tiki lights, and prepping for a whole new season of outdoor living. While there are lots of accessories to buy for maximum comfort and style, having the right outdoor living space is probably the most important part of enjoying your patio or yard. With some creativity and research, you can easily build a hardscape that fits your needs and tastes.
There are many types of materials you can use to create your outdoor living space. Clay and concrete pavers, for example, can be used to build patios, walkways, flower beds, fire pits, retaining walls and water features. Variety is one hallmark of pavers. If you are building with clay pavers, you can choose from reds, grays, browns, and whites. You can also choose a weathered clay look and from many different styles. Evoke dozens of places and times—like Weathered Whisper Mountain, Mount Vernon, and Westpoint— in your outdoor living space. You can even mix types of clay pavers to create a unique look. Beyond the variety of clay pavers, concrete pavers are also a fantastic way to customize your hardscapes and outdoor living spaces.
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[Posted on May 6, 2011]
Mold your World with Custom Concrete Pavers!
Concrete is such a versatile building material. It is used in lining swimming pools, building sidewalks, covering patios, or creating entire buildings. Concrete is easy to mix and pour. It can be colored and textured in hundreds of ways. In short, it is the perfect masonry material for almost any home project! Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of concrete creation, however, is the use of a mold to shape custom concrete pavers.
Concrete pavers are stones that are used in gardens, fountains, around flower beds, and in many other outdoor living applications. They are sold in dozens of shapes—squares, circles, rectangles, half-moons. They are usually gray, but can be found in reds other colors. It is possible to buy them at most masonry supply stores. Concrete pavers are also easily installed. With just a bit of shoveling and leveling, you can make a flat space to place the pavers. Then, they sit in the space you have made without any extra grouting, mortaring, or other masonry concerns. While it is more than possible to find lovely pavers for sale, if you’re looking for a more custom concrete paver, you may want to consider making your own.
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[Posted on April 7, 2011]
Craft Something Unique with Bricks!
Bricks can be used for hundreds of building projects. They make durable and lovely houses, retaining walls, hardscapes, flower beds, schools, government buildings, patios, sidewalks, and chimneys. Where they are often underestimated as materials, however, are in smaller applications and as places to add color to a room or exterior.
Indoor Crafts and Brick Projects
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[Posted on March 31, 2011]
Make your Own Yellow Brick Road: Redoing Walkway with Brick Paving
There’s a reason that the most famous road in musical entertainment is made of brick: because it is durable, easy to replace, versatile in terms of style and designs, and affordable. Before considering brick paving for your next walkway or patio, let’s look at some of the reasons why it’s the smart choice for any project.
Where can you Use Brick Paving?
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[Posted on March 9, 2011]
Give your Home a Facelift with Face Brick!
Face brick is the brick that you can see on the outside of homes, residence halls, public buildings, and landscaping features (like walkways) and hardscapes. It comes in many different sizes, colors, and shapes. It can be customized to fit different tastes and it is a versatile and elegant masonry material. A face brick façade immediately conveys an air of sturdiness, durability, and timelessness. What you may not know, however, are that there are many environmental and economic reasons to choose this material if you are thinking of giving your home or business a facelift.
Face brick is environmentally friendly for a number of reasons. As the Brick Industry Association notes on its website, natural clay brick is made of “inherently natural ingredients”; it offers, “countless recycling options,” it creates “minimal wastes”; most brick is made through “environmentally friendly manufacturing processes”, and brick “is the first masonry material that can attain a “Certificate of Environmental Claims” from a third party source.” It is also a smart choice for the environment because of its longevity. Unlike many other materials, brick does not rust or dent and it is unlikely that it will need to be replaced for decades after first building. This means less materials need to be manufactured, a fact that has a direct relationship to helping the environment as it saves both raw materials and energy. Further, because brick can absorb heat and slowly release it, it can help you consume less energy and save money on heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
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[Posted on February 21, 2011]
Stone Veneer: Still Affordable and Beautiful!
Before you tear down walls or spend thousands of dollars in order to change the look of the inside or outside of your home, consider a material that has a long history of being both lovely and affordable: the stone veneer.
Although many people think of stone veneers- or thin facades of stone that cover other masonry materials- as a recent development, architects and builders have been using them for hundreds of years. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as the middle class grew larger and more people built homes of their own, they searched for an affordable, aesthetically pleasing outer material for their homes. Many palaces, estates, and country homes of the gentry and upper classes were built out of quarried stone. For the ordinary person, however, building an entire home from limestone or other materials which were expensive to dig and transport was not an option. This is where stone veneers entered the picture and changed the look of history.
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[Posted on February 8, 2011]
Re-think Concrete Blocks!
Drive down any road in America and you are certain to see concrete blocks in some form or another. You may notice huge vertical slabs of gray concrete lined up together to form sound proof barriers or you might see construction areas separated from active lanes by waist-level pieces of concrete. Get off the highway and you might notice homes or sheds built of concrete blocks or you might see landscaping hardscapes made entirely of this versatile material. Wherever you are seeing these masonry materials, they are sure to look a little different. This goes to show you that a concrete block can be so much more than just a rectangular square of roughly-textured concrete that has two square-shaped holes in it. These days concrete can be colored, textured, and sized in hundreds of different ways. Accordingly, it is being used in all sorts of interesting and creative ways.
In days gone by, building your home out of concrete blocks had a certain stigma attached to it. People built with these utilitarian, gray blocks simply because they were an affordable material. Now, concrete blocks are still affordable, but people are using them to make upscale and modern homes. Since concrete can be textured to look like stone and it can be colored into a range of earthy colors, you can simulate the look of a traditional brick or stone façade without paying as much for it. You can also make a sleek, modern home with large slabs of concrete as outer walls.
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[Posted on January 24, 2011]
Masonry Materials: What You Need to Know Before Your Next Big Home Project!
Your home is your castle, and that’s why it is important to choose high-quality brick, stone, tile, mortar, grout, and other products that will be sturdy and fit your style when building or renovating. There are so many types of masonry materials; however, it can be confusing to sort out exactly what you need for your project.
Brick, thin brick, limestone, concrete, tile, clay pavers, grout, mortar, and even some tools used for building with these materials are all considered masonry materials. Brick comes in a variety of colors, styles, and thicknesses. Red, grey, and pale yellow colors are popular choices and many companies make and sell bricks that that mirror different time periods and places (like English Pubs or Victorian train stations). Thin brick often comes in the same range colors, but it is about a third less thick. Limestone and other stones (granite, prairie stone, flint) are examples of masonry materials that are found in nature. Clay pavers and tiles are man-made and they are available in hundreds of styles and colors. Most building stores will also sell concrete (for pouring applications and in slab form) and the necessary grout, mortar, and other tools.
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[Posted on January 11, 2011]
Water Features are Eco-Friendly and Great for Increasing a Home’s Value!
If you are looking for a way to make your yard both more environmentally friendly and more beautiful and you want to add to the re-sale value of your home, then there are many sustainable landscaping options available to you. One of the most innovative new ways homeowners and designers are using landscape stones is by adding eco-friendly water features to even the most ordinary yards.
Water features can be many different things based on the space you have. In a small yard, you can build a pond no larger than a child’s swimming pool. This pond can hold goldfish and be surrounded by lovely plants and landscape stones of many colors to create an attractive natural space. Another water feature that is nice in a small yard is a cascading waterfall. With the right bushes, plants, flowers, and trees around it, a handful of landscape stones can be arranged into a staircase that water can trickle down. This creates both a visually and aurally pleasing space. In a larger yard- one that is at least a quarter of an acre or more- a good sized pond with several waterfalls can be added. This pond could be surrounded by benches, hardscapes like patios and grottos, and it could also be a focal point for an entire garden. You can also add small bridges and wooden walkways to your water features. These can act as fishing spots, docks (for small craft like remote control boats), and daydreaming spots.
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[Posted on December 31, 2010]
Seek Professional Help: Why You Should Choose Brick Veneer and Who Should Install It
Whether you are talking about art or architecture, dentistry or masonry, the term veneer has a place in the conversation. Generally speaking, a veneer is any sort of covering that enhances the appearance of a surface. Veneers can be wood, or porcelain, or brick- just to name a few. Brick veneers are actually one of the most useful masonry materials in home renovation and beatification because they can quickly change the look of both indoor and outdoor spaces.
A brick veneer is simply a thin covering of bricks. It often uses the appropriately named material thin brick. This masonry material differs from traditional bricks in thickness and weight, but not in appearance, length, or height. As with more conventional brick, a these veneers can also be customized to suit your tastes because thin brick comes in a range of colors and styles.
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[Posted on December 14, 2010]
Concrete Pavers Make Winter Safer!
Concrete Pavers have many applications throughout the year. Certainly, many people are aware how helpful these interlocking stones and bricks are in building patios, landscaping gardens, and making outdoor hardscapes during the Spring and Summer months. What many people do not consider, however, is how useful they can be during the cold, blustery, snow-filled months of the year.
If you live in an area that gets lots of snow and ice, the odds are that you will be snowed in at least once this season. That means either missing work and important commitments or risking your icy walkways and driveways just to get to your car. Having a concrete paver walkway or driveway, however, can make winter safer for several reasons.
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[Posted on December 1, 2010]
Gifts for Dad: Home Repair and Outdoor Building Ideas
Let’s face it: buying holiday gifts for dad can be less fun than jury duty! After years of ties, magazine subscriptions, mugs, and even electronics, what’s a kid to buy for the old man? What can you possibly get your dad this year that will delight and surprise him?
Don’t despair yet. You don’t have to resign yourself to wrapping up nothing but a gift card. To find the perfect gift for dad, look around the house. If your dad is like most others, odds are he has at least one un-finished project on his to-do list. Take advantage of his procrastination! Use it to your advantage and boldly go into uncharted gift-giving territory.
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[Posted on Novemeber 18, 2010]
Mosaics: Great for Almost Any Room!
Mosaic art is timeless- it was a huge part of life in Roman times and it looks fantastic in a modern home! It is an especially attractive medium because it allows for a large degree of personal expression. You can choose your own designs and colors and make a really unique piece of art. For great examples of this, search Google Images of classic Roman mosaics. You’ll see that they feature a variety of subjects- birds, flowers, plants, queens, children, sports, horses, geometric designs- and they appear in an array of colors and sizes. If the Romans could do so much with relatively few resources, imagine what sort of mosaics you can make now that we live in an age of global economies and internet shopping!
When you are considering adding a mosaic to your home, you first need to decide where to put it. A bathroom is always a great spot. You can use glass or limestone tile to make large or small designs on the countertop, on the floor, around the bathroom mirror, or you can even decorate the entire shower. The kitchen is also a wonderful place for mosaic designs. Not only can you decorate the countertops or floor, you could also create a mosaic splashback above the stove.
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[Posted on Novemeber 9, 2010]
What is Right for your Yard?
Finding and achieving the right balance between hardscapes and softscapes is a difficult challenge in do-it-yourself or professional landscaping!
On the one hand, too much brick or stone can dominate a yard and take away from a natural feel. On the other hand, letting nature just have her way can leave your yard looking like a wilderness preserve that has never met a mower. Before your yard becomes merely a wildflower garden for half the year, take a moment and think about what sort of yard you want.
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[Posted on October 26, 2010]
Make Your Bar More like a Pub!
There is something about the look of an Old English Pub- the red, rundown brick…the painted sign hanging on hooks above the door…the clever name… the mullioned windows…the worn wooden tables….the tap pulls emblazoned with the names of thick, hearty beers…the heavy-browed, stony-faced bartender polishing glasses behind the long, dark wooden bar. To the person standing outside a pub, there is no cozier place. To the person already inside—surrounded by laughing friends, nursing a pint of lager, watching the flames of fire crackle in an old stone fireplace—to that person, there is no betterspot on earth!
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[Posted on October 07, 2010]
Concrete Pavers are a Great Way to Personalize Outdoor Space!
If you want a great way to spruce up a walkway, pool deck, building entrance, sidewalk, driveway, playground, or even street, look no further than the practical, customizable convenience of concrete pavers. These handy stones can be manufactured in many shapes, colors, and textures. They interlock easily and are simple to repair.
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[Posted on September 21, 2010]
One of the most versatile pieces of outside home décor and landscaping is the retaining wall. While obviously functional, this wall can be customized to fit a variety of projects, settings, tastes, and needs. It is the perfect complement to any yard, flower bed, sloped driveway, or other outdoor setting.
While this structure can be aesthetically appealing, it ultimately keeps uneven earth in one place, despite the fact that soil, water, and other parts of the landscape constantly push against it. In order to create a strong wall, thought and care are necessary. A proper design and a well-made drainage system are crucial elements to a sturdy wall. There are four different designs to choose from when selecting a retaining wall for your home's needs: a gravity wall, a piling wall, a cantilever wall, and an anchored wall. Each of these different designs will fit specific landscapes and materials. It is important to consult with a builder before choosing the right retaining wall for your project.
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[Posted on September 12, 2010]
Strength, solidity, security, tradition, beauty, and history- many building materials offer some of these characteristics, but only brick has them all.
This timeless material will beautify and enrich any building project whether it is an entire new home, a large or small patio, a garden walkway, the edging of a flower bed, or any other hardscape project. Unlike some other building materials, brick brings a sense of permanence and strength to the outside of a home or any other place it is used. It stands both the test of time and the brutality of all sorts of weather. With a proven spectrum of colors and textures, environmentally friendly thermal characteristics, and the safety of fire resistance, you have a wide range of choices when choosing the right type of brick for the job.
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