As a concrete supply house in Chicago, we see everyone from general contractors to newly trained masons. While you might not need to buy cinder blocks or ladder mesh reinforcement just yet, you can always use tips for working safely. We don’t want anyone to cut corners when it comes to concrete. Continue reading
Unless you’re a seasoned professional — and even then, you always have workplace safety on your mind — construction and masonry projects require serious care and attention to oneself and one’s surroundings. Here are our top five most important construction safety tips for (relative) beginners. Continue reading
Find construction supplies to get the job done properly. Mortar like Maxi-Mix is the crucial foundation to your work. (Plus, Maxi-Mix will make your life as a contractor or builder easier.) Plan to cut precisely and efficiently with diamond blades. Choose the right rebar. And stock up on everything else — from edgers to trowels to levels — that you might need to get the job done. Continue reading
Now more than ever, we consider the far-reaching effects of our choices and the items we use. This isn’t limited to masonry and construction, either. Your average homeowner just a decade or two ago might not have been able to tell you what materials their home was built with. But times are changing. The construction materials we choose — and where we get them — matter. Not only to contractors and builders, but to all of us. Whether you own or rent your property, chances are you’re invested in that very building’s impact. Continue reading
Concrete blocks (or Concrete Masonry Units, a.k.a. CMUs) provide masonry and construction with lasting foundations. To buy cement blocks is to ensure the longevity of your structure. Concrete offers great strength under pressure and the elements, as we’ve talked about before here on the blog. Steel rebar reinforcement will further bolster these properties and provide sustainable structure. Continue reading
The Masonry Advisory Council provides free and useful resources to help local contractors, builders, masons, and others of the industry in their respective communities. MAC in Illinois and NW Indiana, per their website, “promotes and markets the benefits of masonry construction, materials, and technologies through educational and informational programs.” We at Elston Materials are proud to be an active supplier to Chicago and a member of MAC. Continue reading
While you’re on a construction site, timely and consistent delivery is incredibly important. We provide pre-blended mortar solutions like Maxi-Mix to meet this need. At Elston Materials, we understand that even the at-home construction, masonry, or renovation work requires a consistent product like Maxi-Mix. Continue reading
While we supply contractors across Chicago with their most important masonry construction supply Chicago — we also like to provide information on the construction, architecture, and contracting currently underway in the city.
Concrete is among the most sustainable materials available today. So what exactly makes it “green,” and how is it made? Continue reading
We’ve all seen Blade Runner 2049 by now, right? While those dystopian landscapes obviously decry modern pollution and lifestyle habits — among many other things — they’re not too terribly off-base. Beside and surrounding all that neon: we see cement used for miles. Concrete construction is the way of the future. The sustainable future. And this isn’t any stranger than (science) fiction.
Chicago's #1 Source for Masonry Construction Supplies
