One of the single most important choices you will make is the brick pattern.
When designing your new patio, there are many things to consider, including how large you want your patio to be, any additional features, and whether or not fun outdoor living elements like fire pits will be integrated into it. One of the single most important choices you will make is the brick pattern. Here is everything that you need to know to find the best brick pattern for your patio. (more…)
Commercial brick is one of the most charming exterior materials available on the market.
Commercial brick is one of the most charming exterior materials available on the market. Whether you have commercial brick in need of restoration or are looking to spruce up your commercial property with masonry, here are four of the reasons why brick is the best. (more…)
You’re looking to have some professional masonry work done for your Baltimore business. However, you don’t know what to look for in a commercial masonry company. DelPrete masonry is here with a simple guide to how DelPrete masonry qualifies in all 3 things to look for in a commercial masonry company. Experience to get the job done, professionalism to get it in budget and on time, and a large body of work to prove they can get it done. DelPrete Masonry, has everthing you look for in a commercial masonry company.
Masonry is more then simple work or construction, it is a craft passed down from masters to apprentices who must undergo years of tutelage to become journeymen and then masters themselves. (more…)
At Del Prete Masonry, we’re proud to continue the historic tradition of masonry, a craft that extends thousands of years into our past, with a history as storied and fascinating as the chronicle of any nation. Today, we’re looking backwards into the history behind one of the most crucial and powerful items of our trade: the humble brick.
As far as historians can tell, the earliest discovered bricks date as far back as 7500 BC. These early bricks were dried, which means that they were made out of clay-laden dirt and mud, then dried under sunlight until they were hearty enough to be used in construction. The oldest known bricks hail from a part of the planet that is now Syria. Other discoveries, which date as far back as 7000 BC, include bricks from the ancient city of Jericho and the Egyptian fortress of Buhen which ran along the west bank of the Nile River.
As early as 2000 BC, bricks were certainly being used in Chinese architecture. Scientists and scholars have even established that the Chinese were already mass-producing bricks roughly 300 years ago during the Western Zhou dynasty. In 1368 AD, under the Ming Dynasty, bricks were already being fired in kilns. To make these bricks clay and water were mixed together, then trampled over by oxen who beat it into a paste. The paste was then lain in wood frames and smoothed with a wiry bow. The bricks were then stamped with the brickmaster’s insignia and loaded into a wood-fueled kiln and removed while the kiln was still burning.
The Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations also used fired bricks. The Romans designed and perfected the use of mobile, cart-bound kilns and constructed massive brick buildings and structures all over their empire bearing the seal of the Roman legion. The middle ages saw brickmaking finally make its way to northern Europe and was popular in places without native rocks suitable for construction. Some of these buildings still stand today in Denmark, Germany, Russia, and Poland. This kind of brickmaking and architecture would eventually transform into the style that became popularized during the Italian Renaissance.
We recognize the importance of history and our professionals know everything about brick masonry, from practical skills to historical facts. For other questions regarding brick masonry, feel free to contact Delprete Mansonry. Our brick masonry professionals have the experience and history of satisfied clients to prove that we’ll get the job done right, and cost-effectively. To get started with your brick masonry project, please contact our office today at 410-683-0650 or email us at mike@delpretemasonry.com. We serve Baltimore City, County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County.
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There are some things that have been done right for centuries. Much of masonry lives up to that standard. People have been building things since the dawn of the human race and a lot of their materials have come with them. Brick, for instance, is one of the most consistently used materials in history. We’ve discovered brick structures that date back more than 5,000 years ago. If you’re keeping track, that was about 3,000 years BCE. That’s pretty impressive when you think about it. Brick making is a little bit different today, but it has its roots in ancient practices.
Bricks are made from natural, raw materials, which is one of the reasons that they’re still a popular masonry option. Brick is usually made from a clay compound – think red clay in the southern parts of the US. The raw materials are first mixed together to get the base product. They then go through an extrusion process where the materials are mixed with water and molded into the traditional rectangular “brick shape.” Many bricks then have a furrowed area carved in to make them easier to work with when paving. They’re coated with sand, dried, and then fired. The firing process makes the bricks stronger. Once the bricks are cooled, they’re packaged and manufactured.
Brick is a great foundation for any building, and as commercial masons, we can fully appreciate the benefits of brick. Ready to commission your commercial masonry project? Please contact our office today at 410-683-0650 or email us at mike@delpretemasonry.com. We serve Baltimore City, County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County. Keep up with our blog for masonry related information, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Source: Go Brick