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J UNE 2017 | 29 Masonry A Masonry combines durability with thermal efficiencies by ROBIN BRUNET As anyone who works with masonry will attest, brick, block, stone and related materials provide a range of design diversity that is unmatched by other substances. Plus, advancements are constantly being achieved in the masonry realm. To take one small example, aer- ated autoclaved concrete blocks have sufficient struc- tural capacity to be used as low-rise bearing walls; while in the brick sector, the trend of thin brick is catching on worldwide. Brian Cote, Canada sales manager for Mutual Materials, says, "Masonry design in 2017 is dominated by the architectural search for the whitest white, and Mutual has some of the whitest clays that provide the opportunity for various shades of white brick." Cote goes on to note that masonry as a veneer has been enjoying a renaissance, as architects "rediscover how the human scale of the units fits with their multi- tenant project design in much more dense environ- ments. We have noticed an increase in the various size units employed, including face sizes three-by-eight inch, three-by-12, and four-by-12." As for the slim trend, Cote says the use of thinner walls has increased the demand for Slimbrick prod- ucts, with one-half inch deep units replacing full width brick. "Mutual Materials has completed a num- ber of interior projects for popular restaurant chains with our 'black' Slimbrick across Canada and into the southwestern U.S. Plus, demand from large national/ international accounts has assisted us in developing a glazed Slimbrick product line." Meanwhile, Mutual's clay paver market is still devel- oping, and traditional size and colour units that are subsequently transformed via a distressing process Strength Under Pressure has created an interesting product line that the com- pany expects will increase in popularity in 2017. John Moroz, marketing manager for Expocrete (an Oldcastle company), says with regards to business this year, "Masonry continues to be strong in applications where projects require the strength and durability of a masonry stone coupled with thermal efficiencies." Expocrete's InsulTech Insulated Concrete Masonry system is a complete thermally broken insulated masonry solution that includes a full complement of masonry units. "InsulTech offers high thermal effi- ciency in an innovative design combining a pre- assembled structural masonry unit, moulded high performance Neopor EPS insulation insert and thin veneer face," says Moroz. "InsulTech provides design flexibility, installation efficiency and is available in both standard finishes as well as Trenwyth colours and textures." Expocrete recently purchased a block plant from Lafarge Canada located in Lethbridge, Alberta, and Moroz notes, "The addition of the Expocrete Lethbridge Manufacturing Centre will result in greater opportunities for both our valued employees and cus- tomers through the expansion of the products offered in Southern Alberta." It may surprise some designers to learn that Dryvit, which is famous for its Outsulation solutions, is also in the brick business. Dryvit Custom Brick is a versa- tile finish system that incorporates a template, NCB Grout, and an acrylic-based finish creating the feel and esthetic of brick veneer cladding. Many template designs are available to simulate popular brick and stone patterns; the brick surface can be applied in a variety of textured effects and shaded, and the grout can be tinted to create a wide range of colours and highlights that simulate the appearance of weathered brick and stone. As for the Outsulation systems, they have become invaluable for a huge number of residential, commer- cial, and other projects, because they are engineered to seamlessly integrate all the components of a high- performance cladding. Outsulation systems include adhesive, rigid insulation, glass fibre mesh embedded in base coat, and finish, which are installed sequen- tially by a trained professional contractor. The benefits of Outsulation have been demon- strated in countless projects, including Toronto's 349- unit Bloor Street Neighbourhood. The exterior walls of that building are 79-millimetres thinner than stan- dard architectural pre-cast concrete panels, thanks to the pre-fabricated panels, and this enabled the devel- oper to gain floor space because the Outsulation pan- els incorporate the insulation as part of the cladding, minimizing the building footprint. Builders can put the drywall right on the back side of the panel. In other developments, Arriscraft, the manufac- turer of naturally-made products that emulate quar- ried stone, has reached an agreement with T-Clear Corporation for the exclusive North American distribu- tion rights to ProGUARDDP Insulated Concrete Board panels. ProGUARDDP is a combined system that con- denses the separate steps of the drainage plane, insu- lation, wire lathe and mortar bed. "When the North American building codes started adopting new energy requirements with advanced requirements for insulation on outer wall assemblies, the thin adhered masonry industry was caught without a good solution," says Craig Swirzon, Thin-Clad product manager at Arriscraft. "ProGUARDDP not only meets energy code requirements, it replaces three to four manual steps with one." The cost of the ProGUARDDP system is more than offset by the reduction in installa- tion labour (it generally requires one third of the labour time and cost). And, because the cement board and insulation board are laminated together, ProGUARDDP features one-quarter-inch cement board (rather than half inch) for a lighter weight assembly versus tradi- tional systems. Arriscraft has also re-released its Thin Adair product (actual thin limestone) and two new thin clad products - Coastal Series and Midtown. These newest thin clad products give designers new design options (with dry stack and mortar installation options), as well as a long, slender stone look (with Midtown) that is very popular. But as valuable as these products are in expanding the boundaries of masonry capabilities, new systems and solutions are only as good as the people who use them – and that's why a push is underway in 2017 to + Clay pavers and glazed Slimbrick from Mutual Materials; InsulTech Insulated Concrete Masonry from Expocrete. Thin Adair thin clad limestone from Arriscraft.

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