STONE MASONRY
The Pyramids have survived for millennia
So have the stones in the Great Wall of China. Longevity with creativity is not a problem for stone masonry.
Take notice of the intricacies that craftsmen used to build those great buildings such as the bridges and the religious temples of our civilisation.
Also take note of our big city buildings such as those of Sydney. Most of its fine buildings have grown up from its own surrounding sandstone deposits.
Those stones, with the beautiful colours and textures that were carved into Sydney’s grand buildings, have all been extracted from their immediate environment – the Sydney Basin – 250 million years old!
Stone masonry is certainly the craft of the ages.
Masons were the first to form professional associations.
The masons’ guilds not only protected its members but advanced their trade by sharing new technical knowledge. This knowledge often stayed within the guild and became ‘trade secrets’.
As Brick Effect knows, the best stone-masons can build without relying on mortar as a glue. Mortar, when used, is often to prevent pressure cracks caused by uneven weight points in the stone above. Mortar spreads the weight of these points evenly across the whole stone below.
Like masonry in general, stone masonry has so many benefits to offer the builder:
- § Beautifully featured designs and finishes
- § Environmentally friendly
- § Natural sound proofing and insulation
- § No upkeep required to preserve long-term appeal
- § Fire, weather and termite resistant
- § Long wearing stone pavers of all colours
- § Beauty and resale appeal improves with age
The professional Brick Effect mason, when using stones of varied shapes and sizes, can magically put select the perfectly sized stone with the most perfect face to fit exactly into that next space. Beautiful to watch!
BLOCK LAYING
Cement block laying is usually a cheaper method of masonry construction.
This makes block laying ideal for the long internal load-bearing walls and those large exterior retaining walls.
Concrete blocks can now be obtained with patterned faces or, if you prefer, they can be easily finished with a decorative plaster.
Brick Effect often choose to use the popular technique of ‘bagging’.
Bagging can provide a fantastic plastered textured finish to relieve the monotony of the longest walls. Often, retaining walls are best built using concrete blocks.
Blocks can give that broad-faced strength to hold back-fill of any type. Wet and eroding soils can be prevented from moving onto your living space.
Retaining wall can open up all sorts of terrain and areas that would otherwise have been left unusable.
Landscapers often plan for retaining walls to create outdoor areas full of points of interest and highlights to featuring a garden, a plant or leisure areas.
BRICK CLEANING
“Even the best-laid bricks…”, need cleaning!
Unfortunately, it’s in the nature of the job. When a gang finds their rhythm and groove it is folly to stop them to polish up each minor blemish.
Cleaning is also the time when small imperfection caused during the firing process is noticed and corrected.
None of this is a problem because Brick Effect has its own accredited tradespeople to clean. It’s a process that requires not only knowledge and skill but the necessary industrial equipment for that perfect finish.
Brick Effect has invested in the best cleaning equipment and can complete this stage of the project not only quickly and effectively but also cheaply.
CUSTOM LETTERBOXES
There’s nothing wrong with just using a milk urn on a post – that is if you happen to live west of the road to Bourke. A milk urn is big enough to keep a week’s mail out of the rain.
But for most, a letterbox can be the first welcome a visitor receives when stepping onto your property. So, why not make it a statement of welcome?
Make it an object that shows thought and creativity.
Take a look at those other letterboxes. Do they show thought? Were they erected with care and effort, or did they just happen to come along with the house?
Remember, every letterbox tells a story.
Brick Effect has made dozens of ‘boxes over the years and in each case they signal a mark of pride for both owner and builder.
Why not give your ideas to the Brick Effect and see what they can make of them? Better still, give your hand-written designs to Brick Effect to make them a reality. Use their galleries of examples to help with developing your ideas.
What better way is there to place your stamp of quality out for public viewing?
BBQs and Pizzas
A feature at the front can be easily matched with a feature around the back.
BBQ modules are available at all BBQ outlets. These modules allow you to fit them into a bespoke brick BBQ foundation and surround. Design your structure to feature your grill and oven sections along with a sensible preparation area.
And Remember…
The newest trend for the back yard is to have your own working Pizza Oven – gas-fired or wood burning. Brick Effect knows how to construct them with maximum working efficiency and with designs based on any one of the many gallery examples.