CalStar Adds Oversized Brick to Offerings

Words: Dan Kamys CalStar Adds Oversized Brick to Offerings

CalStar Adds Oversized Brick to Offerings

CalStar Products has introduced an oversized facing unit to complement its line of sustainably manufactured masonry. The facing unit can be used as a design element for base courses at grade and for contrast bands. The units contribute to multiple LEED credits on applicable projects.

CalStar says it uses proprietary technology to produce bricks that offer unique environmental benefits. The process incorporates 40 percent post-industrial recycled material as the binder, and avoids the energy-intensive kiln firing required for clay bricks. The manufacturing process uses 85 percent less energy and generates 85 percent less CO2, compared to traditional fired brick.

The oversized facing unit is 4 X 8 X 24 inches in size, and is equivalent to a nine-brick soldier course, resulting in time-saving, simple installation. For more information, visit www.calstarproducts.com.

PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin