Building all-masonry homes: the many benefits combined with an ever-improving economic picture make these types of homes a potentially tremendous untapped market for the contractor - masonry - Brief Article

Masonry Construction, August, 2002 by Ron Holzhauer

"All-masonry homes are durable, virtually indestructible, and almost maintenance free. They are beautiful, environmentally clean, have excellent fire ratings, do not settle, and do not experience mold, moisture, or noise problems.

"The only drawback in the past, and it certainly was a significant one, was the substantial cost difference between masonry and conventional wood frame construction. The cost margin between the two approaches has now shrunk to the point where the many benefits of masonry make it an economically viable alternative, at least in my area of the country," according to Patrick M. Halloran, president, Halloran Masonry Inc., Athens, Ga.

Pat Halloran's evaluation of the potential for masonry homes is typical of how his 26-year-old commercial, industrial, historical restoration, and high-end residential business operates. His philosophy is to provide quality craftsmanship using the best possible products, meet all deadlines imposed by the job, and continually analyze all aspects of the operation looking for new opportunities and improvements to existing practices.

7-Year Evaluation

"I began experimenting with the costs about 7 years ago by using my apprentices to build various masonry structures (not houses) on my farm," explained Halloran. "This approach provided me with a realistic evaluation of the costs while providing my new employees with an excellent training opportunity."

More recently, three apprentices along with Halloran built a 2800-square-foot all-masonry addition in the form of a miniature castle with various styles of ornate brickwork to his home. "I wanted to check the costs of various masonry components and techniques and find out what was practical and what was too expensive," he stated.

About 2 years ago the cost premium of masonry over wood homes dropped from a high of 20% to about 7%. Savings in electrical costs and insurance premiums over the life of the home recover most, if not all, of the additional upfront expenses. "Add the many other benefits and these homes seem like a bargain," Halloran said.

"At the same time the cost spread was narrowing, consumers were becoming even more disenchanted with wood frame that were beautiful for a year or so and then doors stopped closing, siding began falling off, leaks appeared around windows and on the roof, and settling cracks appeared. The time was right for the all-masonry home," stated the contractor.

Masonry Home #1

Halloran's first all-masonry home was built about a year ago in a typical entry-level suburban subdivision in Athens. There were four versions of the same wood-frame home and one custom-designed masonry home in the 125-unit development.

"We built the home in the traditional way using techniques and practices that were typical 60 years ago," said Halloran. "The 2500-square-foot home was built in 7 months (rather than 8 months for wood frame) by five craftsmen (including Pat) with over 50 years of combined experience, rather than the crews of many different subcontractors (the average wood frame home requires 74 workmen).

"In my opinion, bricklayers have more skills than any other trade, if the contractor is willing to utilize all their abilities. Taking advantage of these skills, my crew did all the electrical, plumbing, and carpentry on the job. Only the HVAC and carpeting were subbed out. This home will last for generations."

The home features 6-inch concrete block filled solid with 3000 psi concrete, 2-inch insulation board, 1-inch air cavity, and 4.5-inch standard face brick. The interior walls have three coats of cementitious portland cement plasters. No. 4 rebar throughout the exterior walls makes the home hurricane and tornado resistant. (See the sidebar on "Structural and Architectural Features of Halloran's Masonry Homes" for more details.)

One unique feature of the all-masonry home is a sate room built in the center of the house. This room is constructed of solid concrete and is wind, fire, and burglar resistant and contains all the amenities necessary for survival during a disaster.

The Georgia Concrete Products Association, Portland Cement Association, and several manufacturers supported the project, which was extremely well received by visitors attending several open houses. The home was kept as a showcase for 4 months before being sold because of the tremendous interest generated both in the Athens area and around the country. Halloran received several offers from developers in other states to build homes in their area, but he has plans of his own in this regard.

The ultimate buyer of the $234,000 home has been "extremely happy" with his purchase.

More on the Way

Based on the home's acceptance and taking advantage of what he has learned, Halloran plans on creating an all-masonry subdivision. Originally, the development would be underway at this point, but 9/11 put the project on hold temporarily and probably won't start for a year or so. "To our knowledge, it will be the first all-masonry subdivision in the country," said Halloran.