This primarily consists of constructing large buildings including offices, hotels, schools, apartments, churches, government facilities, supermarkets, fitness centers, bars, and restaurants.

The vast majority of these buildings are constructed with a combination of brick, stone, and CMU block.

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Concrete blocks are the most essential part of any commercial building and provide the first line of reinforcement upon which the structure stands.

These CMU blocks consist of hollow cores which may be filled with concrete and rebar in order to increase tensile and lateral strength when building commercial facilities. CMU blocks contribute to a sustainable design that offers a long life span, energy efficiency, durability, and low construction waste. Another benefit resides in the wide variety of block colors and textures available from local suppliers which allows contractors to build with a unique design concept.

The majority of CMU blocks range in size from 4”, 6”, 8”, and 12” in thickness.

The most common block used today in the U.S is the 8” thick x 8” wide x 16” long and consist of 2 hollow cores that may be filled with rebar and concrete as stated above. At this point some contractors may simply decide to cover the outside block exterior with paint or stucco. Traditionally, most buildings are dressed with a combination of brick and stone to provide an aesthetically pleasing design with optimal curb appeal. Most commercial buildings have the outside exterior composed of a modular brick compared to the king size brick most commonly found on residential properties. Modular brick being smaller allows for masons to quickly install and fit these bricks around corners, bond beams, and expansion joints while allowing more workable space when laying these types of brick.

The base of the wall must be flashed near the foundation to prevent moisture entry back behind the brick, and a layer of plywood, OSB, cement board, or glass-faced gypsum panel is installed prior to adding the exterior brick or stone.

To start, lay your first coat of mortar along the concrete foundation prior to setting your first course of brick in place. It’s important to set your leads and string across the first course of brick ensuring your first row of brick is level in order to continue building upwards in level fashion. As the first course is laid, weep holes should be established above the metal flashing and set between 18” – 24” apart throughout the first course of brick

The remaining brick is laid in a running bond pattern where each mortar joint is offset above and below each course to allow for optimal bonding strength within the brick and mortar.

Course by course the brick veneer is laid from the foundation up and is attached to the adjacent sheathing with corrugated metal ties. These brick anchors attach between the brick courses and surrounding wood studs behind the sheathing while being spaced 24” apart throughout every 4 courses of brick.

Dumpster Enclosure

A commercial dumpster enclosure will benefit your property providing a distinct look while complimenting the surrounding building. This enclosure will aid in hiding your oversized trash bins thus preventing unwanted dumping from outside city residents.

Those with businesses near the country should consider having a concrete block enclosure to prevent wildlife intrusion from potentially making mess of the trash bin area. You should also consider the various styles and materials used for different types of dumpster enclosures. CMU, brick and stone options will keep your structure maintenance free and lasting a lifetime.

Most people will opt for a cheaper version consisting of chain link or wood materials. Unfortunately, both of these materials have a short life span and will gradually break down over time calling for numerous repairs or inevitable replacement.

Dumpster enclosures have evolved over the past few years from simply being a cheap fence to becoming a more permanent feature providing aesthetic appeal to the surrounding facility. Masonry materials like brick, stone, and CMU block are now most commonly found amongst dumpster enclosures today. Many cities, commercial shopping centers, schools, churches, and high-end residential communities have banned the use of wood or chain link materials and solely utilize masonry components when developing their dumpster enclosures.

Now masonry designed enclosures will cost significantly more than cheap wood and metal frame work; however, this is an investment for your commercial business and a protective addition built to surpass the hands of time.

First, you should ensure your enclosure is located on a concrete slab and most importantly constructed along a reinforced concrete footing for optimal support of the concrete walls. Fortunately, many schools and apartment complexes will already have the poured concrete slabs to build upon while smaller businesses may require additional funding to complete the extra concrete necessary for dumpster pad completion.

Next, you’ll want to dowel in ⅜” vertical rebar into the freshly poured concrete foundation and begin setting your CMU block in place allowing the exposed rebar to enter the core cavity of each block. Continue laying each course of block in a running bond pattern throughout the enclosure’s footing and begin filling each block cavity with concrete in order to hold and reinforce the internal rebar inside the structure. At this point, the dumpster enclosure has now been constructed on a solid concrete footing with reinforced concrete block around the surrounding walls.

Now, we can customize the enclosure by adding a combination of brick or stone veneer to the outside exterior walls allowing for the most presentable structure possible. Now you can see the variety of materials and types of enclosures available in today’s commercial construction market. The cheaper option may seem cost effective in the moment but will typically produce unwanted problems and potential failure in the years to come.

We highly recommend you seek out a masonry professional as attempting to build a masonry style dumpster enclosure is not for your average handyman or DIY individual. Give us a call today to set up your free on site consultation. We’ve been performing commercial construction for over 10 years now and will glady schedule a visit to discuss your project needs.

Screening Walls

Masonry screening walls are commonly seen throughout residential communities, apartment complexes, churches, schools, and commercial shopping centers. These solid walls provide a privacy barrier, shade from constant sun, and a calm outdoor living area away from high winds and inclimate weather.

Masonry screen walls may be used inside a building to create a separation of space in a large open room, or they may be built free standing outside along their own foundation.

These designs are commonly seen outside around swimming pools, patios, and outdoor living areas. Screening walls may also be attached to houses, buildings, and other commercial facilities to provide an extension of the wall area.

It’s always a good idea to check with local building codes applicable to the city of construction.

Screening walls like dumpster enclosures are traditionally built with CMU blocks on top of a reinforced concrete footing. Some walls may be built with a split face CMU block which comes in a variety of colors, sizes, and textures while others are covered with either stone or brick veneer. Many times, we recommend having a structural engineer design and create the wall details specifically for your individual project needs. We’ve been designing and constructing masonry screening walls for many years and will gladly assist you with your project needs. Please reach out to schedule your on site assessment and consultation today.