Concrete has been a popular building material since the time of the Romans. It’s durable, moderate on price and fills a wide variety of applications. But is it as inexpensive over the long term?

Concrete will crack. It’s not a matter of “if” with most installations, it’s a matter of “when”.

We’re getting close to summer, and if you haven’t finished your spring maintenance checklist it’s time to get it done. Each season of the year you’ll run into different things you should check, and spring is no different. It’s particularly important as you head into the hotter summer months.

Stucco is one of the most ancient, well-beloved building materials still in use today. Its combination of looks, durability and ease of application makes it a great fit for many exteriors.

Your building’s outer envelope is incredibly important. Every building is made with one chief concern in mind: how do we keep water out? Your masonry is the first line of defense. Every cracked brick or crumbling mortar joint means more chances that water will find its way through the outer envelope and wreak havoc inside.

Concrete is one of the most common building materials on earth. It’s been used since before the time of the ancient Romans, and though we’ve come up with newer materials since, nothing has replace concrete in over 2,000 years.

Commercial buildings are often defined by their parking garages.

Water is one of the most powerful forces nature has to offer. Leave it anywhere for long enough and it will trickle its way into the tiniest crack, freezing and expanding in areas with significant temperature fluctuations, seeping into pores and leaching out essential binding ingredients in mortar and concrete. It can turn a solid concrete floor with a rebar core into a buckled, twisted mess. It can carve canyons from solid rock.

That stucco on the outside of a commercial building probably isn’t stucco, especially if it’s a newer building. There’s a good chance it’s something called EIFS.