At Peerless, we're honored to belong to some of the most respected organizations in both the community and industry. We invite you to explore the resources we've assembled below, which range from our credit application to helpful rules of thumb for building with our top-quality products.
Credit Application
Credit Resources: At Peerless Block & Brick Co., we are happy to offer the opportunity to apply for credit. We are excited to consider extending credit to your company or your sole proprietorship. Our application process is simple and secure, and we look forward to working with you!
The Block Color Chart
Natural
Charcoal
Driftwood
Mocha
Plum
Rustic Red
Red L
Terra Cotta
Wheat
Desert Tan
Ivory Creme
Sand Stone
Granite Blend
Field Stone
Prairie Blend
Tyger Blend
Snowdrift White
Brookstone Blend
Colors: Every effort has been made to assure accuracy in the above colors. However, due to the nature of concrete and the manufacturing process, as well as variations in viewing on your particular computer screen, colors may vary slightly. Peerless recommends viewing actual samples as you make your color selection.
Rules of Thumb
Mortar Joints
Mortar joints in brickwork take up a considerable large amount of a wall’s surface area and have a significant influence on the wall’s overall appearance. Some joint profiles accentuate their individual designs, while others merge the bricks and mortar to form a flush, homogeneous surface. Mortar joints vary not only by their appearance, but also by their water-resistance properties.
The following are the most common types of mortar joints:
Concave joint
This popular type of joint is formed in mortar through the use of a curved steel jointing tool. It is very effective at resisting rain penetration due to its recessed profile and the tight seal formed by compacted mortar. Patterns are emphasized on a dense, smooth surface, and small irregularities are hidden.
V-joint
Vee Mortar Joint This type of joint can be made with a V-shaped jointer or a trowel soon after the bricks are laid. Ornamental and highly visible, the joint conceals small irregularities and is highly attractive. Like the concave joint, the V-joint is water-resistant because its formation compacts the mortar and its shape directs water away from the seal.
Weathered joint
Weathered Mortar Joint Mortar is recessed increasingly from the bottom to the top of the joint, with the top end not receding more than 3/8-inch into the wall. The straight, inclined surfaces of the bed (horizontal) joints tend to catch the light and give the brickwork a neat, ordered appearance. This joint is less compacted than the concave and V-joints, although it is still suitable for exterior building walls.
Grapevine joint
Grapevine Mortar Joint While most popular during America’s Colonial period, this design is often replicated in newer brickwork. It is created with a grapevine jointer, which is a metal blade with a raised bead that creates an indented line in the center of the mortar joint. These lines are often rough and wavy, simulating the generally straight yet slightly irregular appearance of a grapevine. It is commonly used on matte-finish and antique-finish brickwork.
Extruded (squeezed) joint
Extruded Mortar Joint This joint design requires no tooling and is formed naturally as excess mortar is squeezed out from between the bricks. The result is a rustic, textured appearance. This design is not recommended for exterior building walls due to the tendency for exposed mortar to break away, degrading the wall’s appearance.
Beaded joint
Beaded Mortar Joint Raising a rounded, bead-shaped segment of the mortar away from the mortar surface produces this old-fashioned, formal design. Although beaded joints can create interesting shadows, they are not recommended for exterior use due to their exposed ledges.
Struck joint
Struck Mortar Joint This joint is formed in a similar fashion as the weathered joint, except that the bottom edge, instead of the top edge, is recessed. It is a very poor insulator against water, as it will allow water to collect on its bottom ledge.
Raked joint
Raked Mortar Joint For this design, mortar is raked out to a consistent depth. Although often left roughened, it can be compacted for better water-resistance. This design highly emphasizes the joint and is sometimes used in modern buildings in order to match the historic appearance of their locales. Unless it is compressed, it is not as water-resistant as other mortar joints because the design incorporates ledges, which will collect water as it runs down the wall. Also, when mortar is removed from the joints, it becomes smeared on the surfaces of the brick at the recesses. To remove the mortar, contractors often aggressively clean the walls with pressurized water or acid solutions, which can open up additional voids and increase the possibility of water penetration.
Flush joint
Flush Mortar Joint This joint is best used when the wall is intended to be plastered or joints are to be hidden under paint. Because the mortar is not compressed, it is less water-resistant than some of the other designs.
LEED | Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is redefining the way we think about the places where we live, work and learn. As an internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000, the LEED rating systems are developed through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED committees. The next update of the LEED rating system, coined LEED 2012, is the next step in the continuous improvement process and on-going development cycle of LEED.