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with Brick, Block & Stone
Better Communities Begin
with Brick, Block & Stone
MASONRY ORDINANCES PROTECT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Brick
Helps Maintain Quality Construction in High-Growth Areas
"A
builder only owns a home as long as it takes to sell it. A buyer
may own the home for 5-7 years. But our community
owns
the home forever. No one has a greater stake in the quality of
what's built in our city than we do." -- City Planner,
Aurora, Colorado
Some call it new urbanism. Some call it green building, and others
call it just plain smart. However it's termed, communities throughout
America (and Colorado) are enacting masonry ordinances to combat
substandard construction and manage the quality of new development.
Local governments favor masonry standards because they provide
a tangible way to guarantee the durability, safety and curb appeal
of new buildings in their communities. Masonry guidelines ensure
that new homes and schools are built to last and to require little
or no exterior maintenance. Masonry guidelines guarantee that apartments
and town homes are built to resist fire, hail and wind. And last
but not least, masonry requirements leave plenty of room for individual
- expression and design choices.
Citizens like the standards, too, because they are an insurance
policy of sorts on the future direction of their neighborhood or
community. Well-built homes and commercial buildings retain their
value and add to the prestige of the community, and that translates
into safer, more desirable neighborhoods and higher resale values
for homeowners.
If you would like to put a stop to "disposable buildings" in
your community, please contact
Larisa LaBrant at the Rocky
Mountain Masonry Institute for more information or to request a
presentation on masonry guidelines.
-
For community case studies and sample masonry ordinances, click
here.
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For Frequently Asked Questions on building homes with brick,
block and stone,
click here.
-
Download a simple worksheet
to help you determine what it costs to build your home with
brick (instead of vinyl,
hardboard or synthetic
stucco).
-
Watch a video presentation on the benefits of establishing
masonry guidelines in your community (Approx. 10min). Select
the appropriate connection speed below to view the video. Please
be patient -- the download may take a few minutes.
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