Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Masonry Terms
BRICK
a solid or hollow manufactured clay masonry unit, usually formed into a small rectangular prism; brick is the preferred exterior material on homes due to its attractiveness, durability, and versatility

CAST STONE
a precast building material manufactured from concrete and made to imitate natural cut stone; on homes cast stone is commonly used as trim or ornamentation

CONCRETE MASONRY UNIT (CMU)
a large rectangular block that is hard and strong consisting of sand, conglomerate gravel, pebbles, and broken stone; often used on homes as a back to brick veneer walls or alone when cmu has a textured or colored finish

GLASS BLOCK
Hollow or solid masonry unit made of glass; from showers to flooring and stairs, the creative uses for glass block are endless

GROUT
A very high slump concrete used to fill cavities in a masonry wall

MASONRY
the work resulting from the practice of the mason’s craft- structures built with hand-laid units of brick, block, or stone

MASONRY VENEER
a single facing portion of a wall of masonry units securely attached to a wall for the purpose of providing ornamentation, protection, and insulation, but not adding to the strength of the wall

MORTAR
a mixture of cementitious, fine aggregate, and water used to bond masonry or other structural units

PAVER
brick, stone, or block that is especially suitable for use in pavements where resistance to abrasion is important; pavers are a practical and attractive addition to driveways, landscaping, and outdoor living spaces

RETAINING WALL
a masonry wall designed to prevent the movement of soils and structures placed on one side of it; masonry materials for retaining walls are available in thousands of shapes, sizes, and colors

STONE
term used to discuss rock in a semi or finished form to be used in construction or landscaping; recently surging in popularity, impressive stone features are admired on both the interior and exterior of many new and updated homes

STUCCO
traditional stucco consists of a thick layer of a sand and cement mixture applied over wire mesh and masonry block or brick base; also referred to as cementitious stucco, the style is common in Spanish and Mediterranean architecture