The Pros and Cons of Masonry Construction

Customers have no shortage of options when it comes to residential and commercial construction project materials, but one of their best bets is masonry. Continue reading to learn what you need to know about the pros and cons of masonry construction in Middleburg, PA.

Advantages

Because we’re industry experts, let’s start with the pros of masonry construction. These are the top reasons to choose masonry over other building materials:

  • Fire protection: One of the top benefits of masonry construction is that the materials are flame-proof products. Depending on the thickness of the walls, buildings constructed out of brick, concrete or stone have a four-hour fire rating. Additionally, masonry passes the hose stream test with flying colors. This means the material won’t crumble while firefighters are extinguishing a flame.
  • Element resistance: Unlike other types of buildings, masonry structures aren’t very susceptible to the elements. Heavy rains and strong winds are no match for durable concrete, brick or stone. Additionally, you’ll never have to worry about termites chewing through the material or the material rotting away due to excess moisture.
  • Attractive appearance: If you thought all masonry structures look strictly utilitarian, think again! As long as you hire a qualified mason for installation, these buildings can be quite attractive. Masonry construction comes in a variety of different styles and appearances, meaning it can meet all of your design needs.
  • Longer lifespan: Although we may not be around in 100 years, a building constructed with brick, stone or concrete will be. One of the biggest advantages of masonry construction in Middleburg, PA is that the structures last for generations without crumbling. In fact, archaeologists still find stone buildings that were built thousands of years ago across the world!

Disadvantages

While there are plenty of advantages of masonry construction in Middleburg, PA, it does have its downsides. Here are a few of the challenges presented by going with masonry for your project:

  • Transportation: Unlike building materials used for a wooden structure, masonry construction requires very heavy building materials. All of the bricks, stones or concrete blocks are difficult to transport, often requiring heavy-duty trucks to complete the job. Since transportation is difficult, this often extends the estimated construction timeline.
  • Installation: A stick-built structure can be built in a matter of days. This short timeline is partially due to the fact that the job doesn’t require too many skilled laborers. That’s not the case with masonry construction, which requires a special skillset that’s not as common these days. Because we have fewer workers, masonry construction takes longer.
  • Cracking: Although masonry constructed buildings are built to last for decades, their foundations may crack under certain conditions. These cracks must be repaired right as soon as possible, or the rest of the building could experience problems.

Talk to our team today

Whether you need someone to handle your commercial or residential masonry project, be sure to hire Beavertown Block Co., Inc. With nearly 100 years of industry experience, you can rest easy knowing we’ll get your job done right the first time. Give us a call today to learn more about the pros and cons of masonry construction in Middleburg, PA or to get a quote for our services.