Gary Porter, Executive Director of the Masonry Advisory Council is called upon with questions about construction concerns and for masonry advice from a variety of Architects, Engineers, Contractors, Developers and Distributor sources. He is dedicated to ongoing education of masonry and shares helpful tips from his professional experience that may be beneficial to you.
Masonry Magic
My dad was a mason contractor who loved two things. Las and Vegas. On these annual trips, we would often go to a show and he liked to watch the illusionist or magicians. Once we saw Siegfried & Roy. They had a show with white tigers in which they could make one of them disappear and then reappear. Now you see it, now you don’t.
Masonry is not magic, but in Itasca, IL there is a masonry building that looks like diamond patterns in the brick exterior, but at other times the pattern is not there! The diamond pattern is achieved by using two brick types from the same manufacturer. The field brick is a smooth Endicott dark ironspot brick. The accent brick that was laid in diamond patterns with a lower and upper band is an Endicott dark ironspot matte finish brick. The reason I know this is because our company was the mason contractor when this was built and our bricklayers had a difficult time discerning which brick was which, as the difference in the color and texture is very subtle. When you look at the face of each brick, you have to look a second time to really see a difference.
On a sunny day, when the sun is hitting this brick wall at a slight angle, the diamond pattern is very visible. Without sunshine this pattern is gone and the wall looks very monolithic. The diamonds that you saw in the sun are not visible in the shade or on a cloudy day.
Using brick in this way allows you to create an illusion that is very noticeable. Consider using these bricks for your next building project, it’s a great way to get noticed (and talked about!).
Now you see it.... Now you don't!
Brought to you by...
Masonry Advisory Council
1440 Renaissance Dr. #340
Park Ridge, IL 60068
847-682-5721
