Brick is one of the most charming indoor flooring types out there, never failing to lend distinctively Southern appeal.

Success of underdog Jake Bates not only provides someone to cheer for, it builds a teachable moment for an industry veteran.

For all the massive things block and brick can create, Gendron said, masonry is a small world ... with its selection of block samples on the floor along one wall and a tube of industrial strength ...