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Houston Masonry
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Houston Masonry

Hardscape constitutes 60%-80% of the existing landscape of any Houston yard. Masonry is an important part of any hardscape because it adds a vertical, multidimensional element to an otherwise horizontal plane. This is one of the most important elements of landscape architecture you can invest in if you are a Houston homeowner looking to create a superior outdoor living environment that also lends curb appeal and ultimate resale value to your property. The otherwise flat terrain of the Houston landscape becomes transformed into ascending and descending realities of ornamental stonework, custom patios, special stepping stone access points, and a myriad of specialty structures that provide unique living environments for plants above the surface of the ground.

Many of the materials used in Houston masonry have been around for centuries. Stone and brick were the first masonry materials used in the most ancient of times. Today, the list of materials has been greatly expanded to include blocks, concrete cast materials, poured concrete, and textured concrete.

People commonly ask us if they can do masonry work themselves. That depends on their level of skill and the amount of free time they are able to devote to the development of your own Houston landscape. Generally speaking, few professionals these days have this kind of time. You can count on much better results if you hire trained craftspeople to build these structures for you.

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The materials and forms that such a craftsman can create for you are beyond the scope of a single article. However, some of the more popular Houston masonry forms are discussed in the remainder of this piece, and should give you a good, clear picture on the many possibilities Exterior Worlds can create in your yard.

Concrete Masonry
Concrete is an increasingly popular material in Houston masonry. There is much more to concrete than people typically assume. It is far more than a light gray slab of hardscape that looks like every other slab on the block. Concrete can be colored and finished to the extent that it almost looks like a polished form of stone. It can be constructed with borders and repeating patterns that reflect the motifs of home architecture. The concrete can then be polished in such a way as to compliment any number of landscape motifs, including modern, contemporary, and traditional.

Polishing concrete is frequently done to attract attention in this way and offers so many decorative opportunities that by the time we are finished you will barely recognize it as concrete. Today’s sophisticated finishing methods allow us to achieve a level of aesthetic that can make concrete look indistinguishable from stones, but without the encumbrance of sealants or protection.

Rock and slate
Natural landscaping is very popular in parts of the city light the memorial area. The bayous that run near I-10 and the tall oak and pine trees that line them give landscape designers a world of opportunity to create all types of scenery reminiscent of mountain, forest, and river hideaways. Houston masonry contractors can create natural pools and streams using rounded river rocks set in mortar. Flat stones, small boulders, and gravel beds can be laid out in such a way as to mimic a wide range of geographies found throughout the Continental United States.

Fired clay bricks
Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are rapidly gaining popularity throughout the Houston area. Bricks are the most popular materials that Houston masonry designers use to create these impressive outdoor gathering spots. Although brick is declining in popularity as a home building material, there are countless opportunities to landscape with brick. Add to that the simple fact that so many Houston homes are already built out of brick and you can see how an outdoor fireplace can add function and aesthetic to any type of landscape and any size yard in our city.

Quarried and cut stone
Quarried stone has been the bedrock of masonry since ancient times. Quarried stones are no less important to today’s modern world of Houston masonry. They are very appropriate materials to use for complimenting the facades of contemporary and Mediterranean style homes. Also, they make excellent building materials for retaining walls and garden enclosures in landscapes surrounding these homes. Polished granite is favorite material that Houston masonry contractors use to build contemporary fountains.

Mortarless concrete blocks
Not every garden is designed the way we stereotypically envision it as a grouping of plants and flowers in a section of the yard. Many gardens are planted above the linear plane of the yards surface in planters and terraces. This has been done for thousands of years in regions of the world where homes were build on hillsides and the building of terraces was necessary for soil retention, controlled irrigation, and proper drainage.

Although the Houston landscape is markedly flat, terraces can still be artificially constructed by Houston masonry specialists who can construct any number of earthwork forms to support Italian and Mediterranean architectural and landscape themes. Concrete blocks can also be used to construct ascending rows of planters, each with a different shade of green and sprinkling of floral color. Many times this is done to create a sense of grand entryway to a special outdoor building like an arbor or a summer kitchen. A similar arrangement can be built in descending form to take guests gently down step by step to a shaded retreat of a poolside patio.

Masonry Contractors

Landscaping services by Exterior Worlds will save a homeowner enormous time and money by listening intently to the homeowner’s wishes and translating that wish list into a hardscape design that fits the scale and scope of the landscape master plan. We will then hire the appropriate masonry contractors, source the very best materials, and combine them with over two decades of expertise in landscape design and outdoor architecture construction.
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Masonry Fireplace

A masonry fireplace is an outdoor fireplace constructed from brick, natural stones, or blocks of some type that are meant to emulate a stone edifice. Masonry fireplaces are becoming more popular in Houston, because so many of our older homes were not built with indoor fireplaces. Residents are now beginning to see the value of adding an outdoor fireplace to their property to lend amenity and comfort to luxury Houston
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Masonry Design

Masonry design involves the planning and construction of structures that are built with any number of masonry elements. These structures have a tendency to take on a life of their own. They create interest, and they vertical impact the Houston landscape. The innovative aesthetics they create help shape a yard. Often they determine the boundaries of unique gathering places like courtyards and morning gardens. Masonry design generates perspectives that make
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Landscape Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are landscape architectural walls that level slope and retain grade. This lends a vertical dimension to the property and is very essential to any concealed grade, drainage, or irrigation system present. Landscape retaining walls also contribute aesthetic to the Houston landscape by pointing to key structures and areas of special interest. If you have a slope of any kind in your yard, you will probably need a landscape
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Masonry Specialist

If you need the work of a masonry specialist, let Exterior Worlds handle the design planning of the work and find the right subcontractor to do the actual construction. Masonry contractors normally work under the invoice of a general contractor in charge of a larger project. While they are always willing to work with an individual homeowner, their expertise is exclusively focused on their particular discipline. If you want this
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Decorative Masonry

Decorative masonry is a highly special type of hardscape that creates beauty in the yard and adds dimension to a property. While its primary purpose is admittedly aesthetic, it is fully capable if building functionality into is décor in a manner that makes the forms it creates useful components of outdoor living. The cost of these forms is highly variable, being relative to the size and nature of the
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Masonry Companies

While masonry companies, as companies go, are a relatively new phenomenon, masons, masonry guilds, and masonry associations have been part of every civilization dating back thousands of years. It was masonry that built the monuments of Egypt, including the pyramids, and many of the great monuments of Ancient Greece and Rome. It was also guilds of Masons who built the great Christian cathedrals of Europe after Rome was converted, and
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Masonry Professionals

When Houston homeowners get ready to add curb appeal to their homes, the best way to do so is to contact a professional landscaping company that can design them a landscape master plan and subcontract masonry professionals that will build specific elements of this plan. Such a partnership benefits both the masonry contractor and the individual resident. A landscape general contractor is able to keep everyone focused on the big
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A Brick Landscape will add Old World Charm to Your Houston Home

A brick landscape will immediately add an Old World charm to your Houston home. Author Brick Landscape Design Brick has a classic look that never goes out of style. It speaks to conservatism, stability, and just the right touch of formality. Like natural stone, it has the effect of enriching gardens, hedgerows, lawns, and tree growths, but it is also conveys a sense of containment that makes your landscape look
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Bluestone Walkways

Bluestone walkways can be used to support any type of Houston landscaping design. Like its name suggests, bluestone is a bluish gray in color. Because it is a form of sandstone, it can also be obtained in brown, gray, or even lilac shades. One of the best things about it is that it is heavier than other forms of sandstone. It will not shift, so it can be laid in
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