Commercial Masonry in Racine, WI

Block Walls for Commercial Buildings Around Racine

We lay concrete block walls for new commercial buildings, including warehouses, car washes and garages. On the drawings, block is CMU, short for concrete masonry units. The block goes up on the footing, course by course, with the reinforcing steel and grout the engineer calls for. On many block buildings the walls carry the roof, so they go up before the roof steel.

Concrete block shrinks a little over time. Control joints give that shrinkage a planned place to crack, in a straight line. We build them where the drawings put them, along with the bond beams and lintels the design shows.

Brick Veneer on Commercial Buildings

Brick veneer is one layer of brick tied to the building's backing wall with metal ties. An air space sits between the brick and the backing. Rain that gets through the brick runs down that space, and flashing carries it out through weep openings. On steel-framed commercial walls, the Brick Industry Association lists a 1-inch minimum air space and recommends 2 inches.

Clay brick moves the opposite way from block and grows a little over its life. So brick walls get expansion joints, kept clear of mortar so they can close as the brick grows. Wisconsin's commercial building code names both movements in its rule on masonry joints.

Commercial buildings often have parapets and no overhangs, so the brick takes more weather than a house wall does. Flashing goes in wherever the air space is interrupted, with weeps just above it. We lay the same kind of veneer on homes and additions as part of our brick masonry work.

How Do Submittals and Inspections Work on a Commercial Masonry Job?

Wisconsin's commercial building code, SPS 361 to 366, adopts the 2021 International Building Code with state changes. Most commercial building projects need plans approved before construction starts. That review runs through the state Department of Safety and Professional Services or a local government it has authorized. Buildings of 50,000 cubic feet or more also need a Wisconsin registered architect or engineer to supervise the construction.

The permit and plan approval are sorted out before the masonry starts. Submittals come next: product data and samples for the brick, block, mortar, ties and flashing. Commercial jobs often add a sample panel built on site. Once accepted, the panel sets the standard for the brick and mortar on the whole job.

Besides the building inspector's visits, many commercial jobs call for special inspections of the masonry. Under the International Building Code, the owner's side hires the special inspector. The inspector checks items like the reinforcing steel and the grout as the walls go up. We plan the grouting around those visits and work to the general contractor's schedule.