Residential Masonry: What are my choices for the exterior of my home?

• Brick — Clay brick is manufactured through the process of grinding, extruding and firing in kilns at over 1700 degrees. Clay brick require a foundation and are laid up with mortar.
• Stone — Native stone is quarried from the land and sawed or split down to specified sizes to work into different laying patterns. Full bed depth stone does require a foundation and can easily be used in combination with clay brick.
• Thin Stone Veneer / Thin Brick Veneer — Thin veneers are approx 3/4″ to 1″ thick version of clay, stone or manufactured stone. To be considered a thin veneer, the weight/sq ft. of wall area must be less than 15lbs/sq. ft. These products do not require foundations and can easily be used for the interior and exterior of your home.
• Concrete Masonry — Offers more diverse colors and textures that are sometimes found in clay or stone materials. Concrete masonry also provides opportunities for thru-wall masonry, in which the masonry can carry structural loads of the roof, floors and other stresses. Single Wythe concrete masonry homes with stucco exteriors are the standard in many parts of our country due to the durability with fire and wind. For a truly “Full Masonry” home, concrete masonry will provide you with one of your best value choices.