​Lintel bearing for veneer is covered in TMS 402 Chapter 12. Specifically 12.2.2.3.2 states "not less than 4 inches". Your architect/engineer should size it for you. Keep in mind that if it is anchored to the backup you must install and expansion joint at one end minimum. If the opening is very wide you may need an exp jt at both ends. I hope this helps. If not, call me.  Thanks for allowing your MAF/MCAA to help.
Jerry Painter, FASTM
352-494-8955

The construction industry has experienced a winding road of recovery. The good news for those considering a construction job is that the industry is starting to hit its stride. The Labor Department remains upbeat on this sector, predicting overall employment growth of about 11 percent, or roughly 758,400 new jobs by the year 2026. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters and construction managers will be needed to build new structures and update existing buildings. Find out which construction jobs we consider a cut above the rest, and read more on how we rank the best jobs. ​

Masonry Testing Protocols
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope everyone had a great 2017. I am believing that it will be a better than ever year for the masonry industry in 2018. As I began to think about starting a new year, I looked at it similar to starting a new building project. As you review the specifications for the materials you will submit for approval you see the section on quality assurance. If it is a small project you will probably take care of it with paper work in your submittal. But if the project is a large project, it will probably include onsite testing. Serious thought and planning should be put into the testing procedures to be used. Chapter 3 of the TMS 402 Code says that “Masonry design requirements in this Code are valid when the quality of the masonry construction meets or exceeds that described in the Specification.” The designer will set up the QA (Quality Assurance) Program based on one of three requirement levels. The program will also describe the procedure for reporting and review as well as resolution of non-compliance. The QA Program will also state the qualifications of the testing laboratory and inspection provider. You will notice the last three sentences had mandatory language, such as “will” in them. This is not optional. If this is not provided, you should...

Masonry's Greatest Strength
Long time South Florida residents who have weathered a severe hurricane often express a heartfelt thankfulness that they were in a concrete masonry structure. Structures built of many lesser products have weathered hurricanes but block homes provide the secure comfort of rock solid construction. This is not just antidotal – its common sense. After reading this article perhaps you will have a better understanding of concrete masonry’s built in strength.

It’s all about the “safety factor”. Simply stated the “safety factor” is the difference between what engineers expect will be the largest wind load a structure will ever be exposed to --- and the wind load that they calculate would rip the structure apart. Structural engineers always like a good safety factor – usually around 3 times or 300%. Poor construction and material deficiencies erode safety factors but if you have sufficient safety factor there is some room for error.

Understanding Wood Frame Connection Problems
Wood frame residential structures have performed poorly in every wind event I have had the opportunity to do wind damage assessment on. The problem is not in the wood itself but in the connectors. A tree branch can be very strong – but if you saw it off you will have a real problem on your hands to nail it back on to its original strength.
The lumber industry is extremely sophisticated in their design procedures. Nails and connections are assigned industry accepted load carrying capacities and safety factors based on extensive testing. All of this is proper engineering. There is, however, a number of factors which explain why Hurricane Irma left dozens of modern wood structures in ruins and zero concrete masonry structures in ruins.

These are:

• Product Weight and Stability
• Natural Safety Factors in Design
• Complexity in Design
• Complexity in Connections

Read More: "Brick, Block & Beers" Volume I, Issue IV (December 2017)
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Have you ever had someone or something encroach on your personal space so badly that you wanted to scream “Back Off!”? So how close is too close?

When my daughters were in high school, they went to a school that had a “Six Inch Rule”. Boys and girls had a 6” rule of separation. Now, as most of you fathers of daughters know, six inches is simply not enough!

A distance that can be critical for a masonry contractor is the distance from which masonry should be viewed to determine its acceptability. If we have reached the point of trying to view the masonry from a certain distance, we already have a problem. 

​Read the whole story here: https://www.masonrymagazine.com/blog/2017/06/01/painters-corner-mcaa-magazine-2/
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Posted by Bronzella Cleveland | Jun 1, 2017

When we were young, we built entire cities and neighborhoods from Legos and Lincoln Logs. Then, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we were taught that it is more desirable to go to college, earn a degree and sit in cubicles for 40 hours a week than it is to build and fix things with our hands. Fortunately for many of us, there are still careers where builders thrive and earn more money than their cubicle counterparts and NCCER’s Build Your Future (BYF) initiative is committed to sharing the many opportunities for successful, lucrative careers in the construction industry with students across the country.

Read the full story here: https://www.masonrymagazine.com/blog/2017/06/01/build-more-than-a-career-build-a-life/​

​Painter's Corner - MCAA Magazine
What can I do about congestion? The short answer is take an anti-histamine and call your doctor. Oh, not that type of congestion! That’s a sinus problem and all in your head anyway!

Congestion in a concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall creates frustration and aggravation for the mason. This leads to lower productivity and the possibility of mistakes by actions or omissions. Add it all together and you have created the potential for a less than expected quality product.
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“Congested” is defined as something being too full or overcrowded. There are several ways that CMU wall can suffer from congestion. The main contributors to the clutter in the CMU wall are the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. Masonry is the only one of the three major wall types that is expected to accommodate their “stuff” as we build the wall. Wood and stud walls are built and then the MEP folks do their rough install. On the other hand, we (masonry) are expected to install piping, boxes, conduit, holes for duct work, etc. the accumulation of these things created congestion. 

​Read the full article: https://www.masonrymagazine.com/blog/2017/05/01/painters-corner-mcaa-magazine/