Concrete Block Rediscovered – Emerging Best for Home Construction
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
At the beginning of the new century, an entrepreneur and visionary discovered the need for a manufacturing company to help provide builders with the finest block and concrete products for construction.
It was 2004 when Charles Mueller helped establish the company and started construction from the ground up. The selected property was an old industrial site. “Extensive remedial work had to be done before erecting the building on that property,” Mueller said. He added, “The City of La Feria was instrumental in the initial startup.”
The ground for this facility required multiple peers to compensate for 20 tons of pressure the press exerts every 20 seconds or so. It needed significant foundation work in preparation for the pressure generated by heavy press and equipment. When all the necessary foundation work was completed, Innovative constructed a state-of-the-art building to house the precision equipment to manufacture concrete blocks and more. “As big of a project as it was, it took almost two years to finish,” Mueller said.
Innovative Block of South Texas started production in 2006, and today is the only manufacturer of concrete blocks and pavers south of San Antonio.
“We researched the market and saw a need. We assembled the finest equipment we could find worldwide to produce high quality block, but more importantly to allow future flexibility to incorporate new products like Omni Block,” he said.
Mueller has a great team, many have been there since the beginning he added, they knew that if they consistently provided quality products, they would be successful, and successful they are in all divisions of the company. “Our cast division makes molds in-house to respond rapidly to your project.”
He added that concrete block or concrete masonry units (CMU) are more fire and bug-resistant than wood studs or plywood sheathing. Mueller pointed out that wood framing is sometimes still used and attached to the interior of the concrete wall to allow for concealment of mechanical piping and wiring, but that is not the most efficient manner to build presently.
Concrete block is unaffected by extreme temperatures, termites, mold or mildew. It can also provide soundproofing and better protection from flooding and storm surge.
For better or worse, wood framing remains the dominant construction method for single-family homes in the U.S., according to the National Association of Home Builder’s analysis of Census Bureau data. For 2020 completions, 90% of new homes were wood-framed, and only 10% were masonry framed homes. Yet, block masonry offers consumers a myriad of benefits, including resiliency in the face of extreme weather and hurricanes.
Projects Built with Innovative Block
Innovative Block is the company in a unique position to provide you with concrete block, architectural block, Holland pavers, cast stone, retaining wall systems, and aggregates.
Some of the most beautiful and iconic buildings and schools in the Valley were built with blocks manufactured by Innovative Block of South Texas from La Feria, Texas.
Most builders know the company and its products. As consumers learn more about how efficient and robust concrete blocks are, they can educate their builders about the life-cycle costs and the savings that concrete offers.
While most people understand that concrete block is stronger than wood, there are numerous other factors to consider: in the long run, the owner of the home or business will save more in energy costs and insurance expense utilizing block versus wood.
20-25% Savings in Energy Costs
According to the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association (SCMA), Mueller said that they had put the facts into perspective on heating and cooling costs. Concrete masonry framed homes provide 20 to 25 percent savings in annual heating and cooling costs but it’s also more comfortable.
And what about insurance? The same national organization SCMA found by talking with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), that most consumers do not even know they can recoup their investment in a concrete masonry home with considerable savings in insurance costs. Many agencies offer discounts on homeowner’s policies of up to 25% because of their resistance to fire, tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
Both associations agree that the savings all start with education. To put that into perspective, if your insurance costs $2,500 a year, you can save roughly $625 a year. Over ten years, that is $6,250, thus allowing you to put this money back into other life investments.
Having a concrete block manufacturing company in the Rio Grande Valley is a blessing for builders and consumers that would like to build a new home. Concrete block makes sense for constructing a home anywhere; however, since we are close to the Gulf of Mexico, we are constantly reminded of the risk of a hurricane. We need to be well protected, and concrete block is the most effective construction product “if it floods just hose it out” Mueller said. It won’t mold or mildew, making it ideal near the coast.
Innovative Block has an extensive line of products, first concrete blocks, split face and smooth face-colored blocks, architectural blocks, Holland Pavers. The company prides itself on producing the finest products for your building needs.
Innovative Block of South Texas also provides cast stones, retaining wall systems, aggregates, and bagged concrete and cements. “We’re squarely in the middle of the Valley’s growth.” Mueller added, “I think that with lumber being so expensive now, people are rediscovering concrete as a viable construction method.”
While touring the plant and I saw first-hand a dedicated team doing their work. At the time, the machinery was making solid blocks, and another was making pavers.
Innovative Block uses a large tract of land to cure their products, where they store landscaping rocks, aggregate piles, and sacking lines. The plant also has crushing and mixing areas and impressive silos that can be seen from a distance.
Innovative Block of South Texas has lots of activity at the plant. Trailers were being loaded with their products to be delivered to builders that are being served throughout the South Texas area.
Large customers can order directly from Innovative Block or through numerous distributors in the area including McCoy’s Building Supply, The Home Depot, Do-it Best Alamo Lumber, Builders First Source, and more.
Innovative Block is also a significant supplier to primary masons and contractors in South and Central Texas and major contractors including Noble Texas Builders, D. Wilson Construction, Peterson Construction, Granchelli Construction LLC, and EB Merit Construction and more.
Professional builders know they can count on Innovative Block of South Texas for the highest quality products, now so can you.
For more information, visit their website at https://www.innovativeblock.com/.
Next month, we will feature Omni Block, also sold by Innovative Block. Omni Block is one of the best new inventions of this century and a significant improvement in efficiency and cost.
