October 05, 2005 1:11 PM CDT

SouthWestern Brick Institute Launches Total Masonry Program

By Southwest Brick Institute

The SouthWestern Brick Institute (SWBI) is pleased to announce the launch of a new educational campaign for school administrators and architects that details the benefits of using masonry — a proven, age-old construction system — to battle the modern mold epidemic that is destroying new school facilities at an alarming rate.

The program will include a free CD, which provides video footage, data, case studies and contacts at actual school districts, as well as a dedicated website containing the information and instructions for ordering copies of the CD.

In launching this new educational program, SWBI is working closely with the Texas Masonry Council (TMC), which published "Are You Building a School...or a Liability?", a comprehensive guide to using total masonry construction in public schools (available at www.texasmasonrycouncil.org).

The campaign defines total masonry construction and includes information on what products are part of the system — clay brick, concrete block, stone and/or cast stone — and those that are not part of the system. Total masonry construction is built on the premise that buildings should have a life expectancy of at least 50 years, be built with materials that are forgiving in nature, and be used in a system with built-in redundancy.

The CD and book reveal the fact that total masonry construction — with its extended life and resilience to the elements — costs no more than steel stud veneer.

To order a free CD or to find out more about the benefits of total masonry construction, visit www.totalmasonry.com or call the SouthWestern Brick Institute at 800-733-1813.

---

About the Author

The Southwest Brick Institute is the trade association representing all of the major brick manufacturing companies in the state of Texas.