Why School Builders Are Learning Block is Best

Boxley Block, Brick and Hardscape Center offers a list of some of the reasons CMUs are scoring a 4.0 with education officials and builders: 

1. Durability: To put it quite simply, block really does last – a long time. CMUs withstand an extremely high level of loading due to them being compacted by a combination of vibration and high pressure. They also withstand the forces of nature, repelling snow, hail and rain.
2. Cost-effectiveness: Many of block’s advantages factor into its cost-effective status, but one CMU replaces five traditional bricks, which cuts construction labor cost and hours considerably. Builders can finish a block building with the one type of unit and laying method, which requires less mortar.
3. Resistance to fire: Obviously, fire resistance is of the utmost importance in a school building. Block doesn’t burn. In the event of a blaze stemming from other materials in the building, CMU firewalls will stop the spread of the flames.
4. Resistance to mold: Block buildings resist mold due to waterproofing compound used in the concrete and interior and exterior finish. Exterior walls’ weep holes allow moisture a path out from inside and behind the wall. These holes must remain unobstructed.
5. Low insurance rates: Further savings come from the lower insurance rates you receive due to the product’s durability, fire resistance, protection from break-ins and severe weather.
6. Environmentally friendly: CMUs release no volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, protecting both inhabitants and the environment.
7. Better insulation: Block buildings can better regulate interior temperatures because they prevent outside heat or cold from entering. This insulative property keeps the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Boxley is the largest supplier and manufacturer of concrete masonry units in Western and Central Virginia. To learn more about Boxley Block, architectural block or Arriscraft Building Stone, call us at (800) 982-8028 (Roanoke) or (800) 422-2565 (Lynchburg) or contact us online.