New York Masonry: What You Should Know

| Saturday, July 9, 2011
By Geoff Caplan


Long Island is known for landscape and masonry firms that offer a variety of services to New York homeowners. Masonry services are often misunderstood in this mix, so let's examine exactly what is offered a little further.

According to Long Island's http://www.aspenlandscapeandmasonry.com, masonry services are offered to residential and commercial property owners with services that include the installation of manufactured cultured stones, natural stone veneer and pavers, stoops, basement entrances, outdoor and indoor fireplaces, paving stone patios, driveways, walkways, steps, pool patios, BBQs, outdoor kitchens, raised patios, Belgium block curbs and aprons, light piers, concrete sidewalks and retaining walls.

Masonry and its related services have a very long history. The craft of building in stone, brick, or block has an interesting history. By 4000 BC, Egypt had developed an elaborate cut-stone technique. In Crete, Italy, and Greece, cyclopean work overcame material weaknesses by using enormous irregularly shaped stones without mortar, thereby reducing the number of joints. African stonemasons also were skilled at mortarless work, and Japanese mortarless castle walls resisted collapse during earthquakes. The Roman inventions of concrete and mortar permitted the development of the arch into one of the basic construction forms and gave rise to a number of variations in the facing used for walls: squared stone blocks, concrete studded with rough stones, concrete with diagonal stone courses, brick- and tile-faced concrete, and mixed brick and stone. The Assyrian and Persian empires, which lacked stone outcroppings, used sun-dried clay bricks. Stone and clay were the primary masonry materials in the Middle Ages and later. Precast-concrete blocks, often used as infill in modern steel framing, did not effectively compete with brick until the 20th century. Brick and block are often combined or used in cavity walls. Glass-block walls, which utilize steel rods to reinforce the mortar joints, admit light and afford greater protection against intruders and vandals than ordinary glass.

Companies like Aspen Landscape and Masonry have elevated this ancient craft into aesthetically pleasing designs and applications that commercial and residential property owners appreciate and utilize to beautify their properties.

Typically, commercial and residential property owner landscaping needs can vary from relatively modest or to something much more elaborate. Masonry and landscape designers and contractors can provide the ideal solution for a Long Island commercial or residential property. Companies like Aspen Landscape and Masonry emphasize that they are committed to creating aesthetically pleasing and beautiful outdoor environments that fulfill the specific needs of each of their clients, and they are dedicated to providing prompt, courteous and affordable service.

For additional information, visit http://www.aspenlandscapeandmasonry.com, or call 516-662-0506.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment