Back By Popular Demand

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Back By Popular Demand

Bronzella Cleveland, Editor - bcleveland@staging1.masonrymagazine.com

When I first started working with Dan on MASONRY, I developed a slight obsession with watching HGTV, and now I have to say I’m guilty of binge watching it on the weekends. Paying close attention to any renovation shows where the materials are chosen. I’m just so curious to see what the choice is, while silently hoping it’s masonry or natural stone. Now everywhere I go, I’m starting to see more trendy outdoor kitchens with some sort of paving, brick ovens, granite countertops, and the whole nine. It seems like the trend of using natural stone and hardscaping, in general, aren’t slowing down, which is great for the industry! We always want to provide you, the readers with the beneficial information, and after such a great response to last year’s Mason’s Guide To Natural Stone. We decided to do an encore magazine on natural stone and hardscaping. There are lots of topics in this year’s mini magazine, from quarrying to outdoor kitchens, and hardscaping to name a few. Following my note you’ll find the Marble Institute’s article on quarrying, Where Does All That Beautiful Stone Come From? Provides the fundamentals on the variety of stones and the quarrying process, it’s a must-read for sure. There are two more quarrying pieces that you won’t want to miss, The Quarry Story gives a breakdown of how to get started in the business of stone quarrying. While Crushing Rock Or Crushing Rocks provides a deeper look at how quarrying is down from start to finish. Landscape Architecture is another hot topic we wanted to cover this month. The Trends In Residential Landscape Masonry will give you insight into the newest trends in outdoor living and more. We hope the information you’ll find in MASONRY: Hardscapes and Natural Stone to be just as beneficial as the natural stone guide. As always, feel free to email Dan or I with any comments or ideas you’d like to see in the magazine, and enjoy!  
Contractor Tip of the Month: A Contractor’s Amazon Adventure: Heat, Teamwork, and Thrills in the Rainforest
January 2026

Pressure has a way of exposing your habits. It shows how you respond when comfort fades away, and the work starts fighting back. For contractors, those moments come on jobs that test your energy or force decisions when the margin for error disappears. The

Damian Lang
Contractor Tip of the Month
Read More
Fechino Files: Something Good!
January 2026

Mortar Net Solutions and Keene, Inc. have delivered the 2025 Masonry Apprentice Scholarships, and teachers across the country are presenting them as they change the lives of the recipients. This year, we were fortunate enough to have four National Masonry

Steven Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
GEN NXT: Austin Cataldi
January 2026

This month, the MCAA had a conversation with 19-year-old Austin Cataldi, a dedicated young professional whose path to masonry was shaped by family ties and a hands-on spirit. His journey is one of finding artistic expression in the same materials he works

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Launching Into 2026 With Purpose, Innovation, and National Momentum
January 2026

Happy New Year! As classrooms reopen and a new semester begins across the country, the MCAA Outreach & Education Division is entering 2026 with renewed purpose and a clear focus. There is a unique energy that comes with the start of a new year. It is a ti

Robert Melgaard
Outreach Outlook
Read More