Masonry Magazine August 2005 Page. 40
COLORED MORTAR
The patios and walls give a real inside/outside orientation, and the colored mortar really makes a difference," he says.
Complementary or contrasting, colors of brick and joints create the wall's overall perceived color, and minor fluctuations in shade and texture impart depth and character. Extreme contrasts in the color of brick and mortar accentuate architectural details of the house, while paler shades of brick and mortar produce a monolithic look typically associated with Mediterranean architecture.
THE ORIGINAL FOR OVER 40-YEARS
PLANK-TIE
SPEED LEAD
Scaffold
Plank
Protection
180 Mill Street, Waynesboro, VA 22980
(540) 949-6839
www.plank-tie.com
The Original since 1947! Made in the USA
CIRCLE 173 ON READER SERVICE CARD
from the makers of Sure Klem products
Results
no sheet wrap can touch
Easily applied to sheathing or
CMU backing, big red
PROSOCO R-GUARD™ acts
behind the brick, block or stone
to make new masonry buildings
code compliant, mold resistant
and energy-efficient.
• Durable
• Structural
• Breathable
• Seamless
Air
Barrier
Initiative
sto
PROSOCO
SINCE 1939
R
SOC
ROGUARD™
Fluidappiled air and mosture banier
PROSOCO
SINCE 1939
fofove in cod decall f
1-800-255-4255 www.prosoco.com
CIRCLE 195 ON READER SERVICE CARD
A Flemish bond, created by alternating stretcher and header units, is further highlighted varying brick colors and using a light mortar color.
For custom builder Bryan Elliot, in Kernersville, N.C., colored masonry helps create a monolithic look as well as a high-contrast look. Elliot builds old-world style houses and uses various techniques to achieve that look.
"When I'm looking for a monolithic look, I'll use one of the taupe colors for the mortar, and get a brick to match because you don't see the mortar joints," he says. "It's a nice, clean look"
"Color coordination is imperative," Elliot says, "and the colored mortar gives me versatility when I'm trying to pull a particular color or style out of the house." He also uses colored masonry to help coordinate other elements such as roofing, shutters, trim and any rock work.
Finishing Techniques Contribute to
Final Appearance
COLORED MORTAR isn't the only element that impacts visual elements. A wide variety of joint treatments, even the size of the joint, play a prominent role in the resulting look. Elliot often changes the type of joint the masons use because the mortar joint can seem to change the color of the brick and alter the total effect.
"For some homes, I use a flush joint on the brick with the colored masonry. It wipes the mortar up onto the brick so in the end you see more of the colored masonry than the brick," he says.
According to Sandlin, Signature Homes allows their buyers to get more personally involved in defining the look of their finished home by giving them a choice of brick color and mortar color, as well as a choice of masonry joint - either a weeping joint or a full mortar smear.
Gary Milla is Director of Specialty Products for Lafarge North America and is responsible for the company's masonry program in North America. Milla has a master's degree in engineering from the University of Waterloo and over 20 years of experience in the masonry industry. He is a member of the National Concrete Masonry Association, Portland Cement Association and the Brick Industry Association, For additional information, please visit www.lafarge-na.com.
38 Masonry
August 2005
www.masoncontractors.org