Masonry Magazine May 2003 Page. 18
Brick, Block and Stone
It's created in a process that the plant operators here at Cherokee came up with themselves. We have it available in five different bricks that have been good sellers for us. It started out just in the Atlanta area, but we now sell it through 30 state distributors, including Canada.
He adds, "We are trying to get the architects in this area off commercial-style brick. Every commercial builder uses the solid color brick, red or gray or pink. We're trying to get them converted to different colors. We've had good success with that as far as new schools and commercial buildings by getting them to use a residential style brick so that the buildings blend in with the communities. When you ride down the road you see pretty houses with different color brick, but then you drive up on a school and it's solid red or gray. Around here a lot of schools are built in residential areas, so we're trying to get them to use brick that will blend in with the community."
Many brick manufacturers are also developing 'thin brick' that can solve several design issues and also help meet strict seismic codes.
AMERICUTTER BRICK AND BLOCK SAWS WITH ELECTRIC MOTORS
American Brick Saw Company, Inc. proudly introduces its new line of 14" Americutter brick and 20" Americutter block saws powered by Baldor electric motors.
14" Americutter brick saw available with 1.5 horsepower, 2.0 horsepower, and 3.0 horsepower motors. All 14" Americutter brick saws use a 14" blade with a 1' arbor.
20 Americutter block saw available with 3.0 horsepower, 5.0 horsepower, and 7.5 horse-power. All 20 Americutter block sans use a 20 blade with a 1 arbor.
American Brick Saw Company also offers a 14" brick and 20" block saw powered by Honda gasoline motors.
* All Americutter Brick and Block Saws feature direct drive design to provide increased horsepower to the blade
* Sealed arbor shaft eliminates grease maintenance
* Blade to saw table alignment never needs adjustment
* Belt replacement and adjustment is simple
Also available, a full range of diamond blades and related products for all masonry, stone, and brick cutting requirements.
American Brick Saw Company, Inc.
825 Seegers Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Phone (800) 989-9593 FAX: (847) 390-0060
www.americanbricksaw.com
CIRCLE 141 ON READER SERVICE CARD
WINDOWS FOR MASONRY
It may seem to be designed for other purposes but an innovative window is making inroads in masonry applications.
Most mason contractors don't think of windows-other than glass blocks for light transmission-as their area. They lay block, brick and stone and, where it is needed, lintels. But if you do below-grade block foundations, you are often involved in placing sub-grade windows, or basement casements as they are sometimes called.
A new window design from Superseal Manufacturing, South Plainfield, N.J., has come on the market with a bang. In its first month, it has garnered several awards for innovation at major trade shows, including the International Builders Show. At first glance, the Masonry Hopper 650 seems to be oriented toward the pour-in-place concrete foundation side of the business. This might be a turn-off for many mason contractors who frown on the concrete foundation alternative.
And indeed, Glen Paesano, national sales manager for Superseal Window and Door Co., agrees that "as much as 95 percent of our sales are for pour-in-place applications. But one of the things that make the Masonry Hopper so popular is that it is sized to be used in block wall construction, too. With the 32-inch width as a standard, we make it in different heights-16, 20 and 24 inches. The 16 and 24 work perfectly with an eight-inch block with a mortar joint. The 16 is two blocks high, and then three blocks high for a 24."
There is more to it than dimensions, however. There is a built-in, steel lintel reinforcement system in the window. As Paesano says, "If you're laying block and lay the window in, you can pick up on the other side and lay another block course going right across the top because the built-in steel lintel has no need for added reinforcement."
So here is a top-grade, below-grade window that can speed up production when used with either standard block or mortarless block construction. Another impressive feature is an integral drywall return that offers pre-set positioning to install drywall around the window when foundation is being finished. The cut-away "buck, or form, is easily clipped away and a self-contained insert snapped into place.
The Masonry Hopper 650 is constructed with corrosion-resistant material enabling it to resist water and withstand higher than normal pressure. Full weather-stripping minimizes air-infiltration and the 650 will not rot, rust or retain moisture. All windows can be tilted in, offering a cleaner, more modern look. A full screen offers 30 percent more ventilation than a similar sized slider and there are no tracks to keep clean.
In addition, the 650 meets all energy codes and achieves the highest forced entry resistance rating with a locking mechanism that ensures maximum security. In other words, it's a window that a mason contractor would be proud to offer as part of the total building package they provide.
But that's not easy. "The architects are hard to change sometimes. They get set on one plan, and you go from community to community and all the schools look the same. We're trying to get them to use different brick, such as residential brick, so you've got thousands of different colors and combinations you can use."
Block
ARGUABLY, the biggest change in the world of concrete masonry units-block-is the mortarless system. AZAR Mortarless Building Systems, Windsor, Ontario, has developed dry-stack systems for building construction in larger block sizes and smaller brick sizes. "We originally started with a below-grade block with scoring (primarily for water drainage control), but now