Indy Masonry Services, LLC

A

AGGREGATE

Granular material consisting of normal weight or lightweight particles used with a cementing medium to form concrete masonry, mortar or grout.

ANCHOR BOLTS

Threaded bolt placed in grouted masonry unit opening. Used to fasten wood will, beam or other structural support to wall top.

ANCHORS

Metal or strap usually made of brass, stainless steel or galvanized steel. Anchors are used to tie a wall (brick, block or stone) to another structure.

B

BARRIER MASONRY WALLS

The modern masonry barrier wall is often single wythe construction where the exterior surface is designed to resist weather penetration.

BAT (BATT)

A piece of brick usually half the full size or smaller.

BED

The bottom side of a brick or block as it has been laid in the wall.

BED JOINTS

Horizontal mortar bed on which a masonry unit has been laid.

BOND

Pattern of laid masonry units; adhesion between mortar and masonry units; tying together parts of two or more wythes of masonry walls by overlapping masonry units.

BOND BEAM

A bond beam is a horizontally reinforced element in a masonry wall that provides resistance to shear loads and also helps distribute lateral loads throughout the wall section.

BRICK

A molded rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln until hard and used as a building and paving material.

C

CONCRETE

A hard, strong construction material consisting of sand, conglomerate gravel, pebbles, broken stone, or slag in a mortar or cement matrix.

CONCRETE BLOCK

Concrete masonry units (CMU) are made from a combination of cementitious materials, aggregate, admixtures, and water.

CONTROL JOINT

Vertical joint made in the wall to allow for shrinkage movement. Used to prevent random cracking of the wall caused by contraction. See also expansion joint.

CORRUGATED WALL TIES

Galvanized strips of metal cut 1 inch wide in varying lengths. Used in wall reinforcing.

D

DRAINAGE CAVITY

The internal drainage cavity is designed to intercept any water that penetrates through the exterior wythe.

DRIP

A projecting piece of material shaped to throw off water, prevent it from running down a wall or running back under a projection.

E

EFFLORESCENCE

A deposit of white powder on the surface of masonry which comes from the leaching of water soluble salts in the masonry by evaporation of water.

EXPANSION JOINT

Vertical or horizontal joints used to separate masonry into segments to control cracking.

F

FACE

The exposed surface of a wall. Also the surface of a masonry unit to be exposed in finished work.

FLASHING

Sheet metal or plastic placed in mortar joints and air spaces in masonry for protection against water seepage.

FURROWING

Small indentation cut into the mortar bed by a trowel to prepare the mortar bed for the brick.

G

GROUT

A cementitious component of highwater-cement ratio, permitting it to be poured into spaces within a masonry wall. Grout consists of Portland cement, lime and aggregate.

H

HEAD JOINTS

The vertical mortar joint between ends of masonry units. Often called cross joint.

J

JAMB

Vertical sides of an opening such as the side of a door or window.

JOINT REINFORCEMENT

Joint reinforcement will not prevent shrinkage cracks from occurring but will help to limit the growth or widening of cracks.

JOURNEYMAN

Craftsman or tradesman who has completed and passed an apprenticeship in a trade.

L

LATERAL FORCE

Force placed on a structure by wind or earth pressure pushing laterally against a wall.

LINTEL

Horizontal structural unit (beam) over an opening; support member over a door or window opening.

LOW-LIFT GROUT

Grout must be placed into the walls after walls reach a certain height. Building of walls may continue only after grout is in place.

M

MASON

One who builds or works with stone or brick.

MASONRY

That which is built by a mason; anything constructed of the materials used by masons, such as stone, brick, tiles, or the like.

MITER

A joint formed by fitting together two pieces beveled to a specific angle (usually 45 degrees) to form a corner.

MORTAR

Mortar performs many functions: it fills gaps between units, bonds the units together, provides weather protection.

MOVEMENT JOINTS

Movement joints are used to allow dimensional changes in masonry and to minimize random wall cracks and other distress.

P

PARAPET FLASHING

It is important to install flashing at the parapet in two key locations: 1) under the coping stone, and 2) at the roof line.

PARGING

Process of applying a coat of mortar to masonry construction, especially used for masonry walls. Also, the cement mortar coat itself.

PIER

A short masonry or concrete column supporting the foundations of the floor structure in spaces without a basement. Pier may be freestanding or bonded at its sides to other masonry or concrete. A masonry column used to support a garden wall. A freestanding column.

PILASTER

A pier or column forming part of a masonry or concrete wall, partially projecting from it and bonded to it. Designed to receive joist or beam load.

PLASTER

Used in interior stone installations to adhere the anchors in place as well as to fill butt jointed stone.

PLUMB

Exactly vertical. Measured with a plumb line.

POROUS

Materials ability to absorb water having many small openings.

PUDDLING

The process of settling or consolidating grout in a masonry reinforced wall to prevent the formation of voids.

Q

QUOIN

Large squared stone or brick set at the corner formed by two masonry walls. Projects out from the corner in some cases.

R

REBAR

Horizontal or vertical reinforcing bars used to reinforce a masonry structure.

REFRACTORY

Any non-metal material or object that can withstand high temperature without becoming soft.

REINFORCING

To strengthen a structure by the addition of something to that structure.

S

SEALANT

Silicone, polyurethane or polysulphate based chemicals with elastomeric (elastic) characteristics used at various conditions in stone joints.

SPAN

Distance between two supports.

STONE VENEER

Stone veneer simulates full depth, load-bearing stone construction.

T

TRUSS-TYPE WALL REINFORCING

A type of horizontal reinforcing systems made with diagonal cross rods through wall flashing.

V

VENEER LINTELS, SHELF ANGLES

Lintels provide support of brickwork over masonry openings and are supported by bearing on masonry at the jambs on either side of the opening.

VENEER TIES

Used to anchor veneer to walls - comes in many styles or types.

VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT

Vertical reinforcement is used in masonry walls to resist tensile stresses that may arise from flexural and shear loads.

W

WALL CAPS

Wall caps and flashing directly beneath the cap must be impervious to moisture penetration.

WEEPS

Openings placed in mortar joints of facing material at the level of flashing, to permit the escape of moisture.