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Discover the average concrete pumping cost, including key price factors and tips to help you budget for your next concrete project.
Masonry vs. Concrete: What’s the Difference?
Laying the foundation for the masonry vs. concrete debate
Photo: Oliver Rossi / Stone / Getty Images
Photo: Oliver Rossi / Stone / Getty Images
Highlights
Masonry refers to adhering individual building materials together to create a solid structure.
Concrete is a building material made from cement, sand, and aggregate, which conforms to a mold and then cures.
Builders can use both masonry and concrete to construct pathways, retaining walls, exterior stoops, and more.
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The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
| Type of Difference | Masonry | Concrete |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Varied | Concrete |
| Uniformity | Low | High |
| Style | Varied | Industrial |
| Construction | Adhered materials | Poured into mold |
| Strength | Good | Excellent |
| Uses | Aesthetic | Aesthetic/structural |
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
Photo: The Good Brigade / DigitalVision / Getty Images
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
Photos: nantonov / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images, Sean Justice / The Image Bank / Getty Images
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
Photo: Vithun Khamsong / Moment / Getty Images
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
Photo: Don Mason / Tetra images / Getty Images
The difference in strength between masonry and concrete is one reason the two materials have different building applications. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, so it very often serves as the foundation of homes and buildings. You might see a concrete block wall—which is masonry, as the concrete blocks are held together with mortar—creating the perimeter of a basement or crawl space, but the slab serving as the floor of the foundation will always be concrete and not masonry.
Masonry can involve the use of multiple building materials, too, making it common in a wide variety of projects. Masonry is involved when tiling floors or shower surrounds, installing backsplashes behind counters, building concrete block walls or stone retaining walls, building brick walls, installing glass block windows, installing stucco siding, and more.
Concrete is most common in home foundation construction, although you might see some exposed concrete forms in modern or industrial-style homes serving as flooring, countertops, or walls.
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