When Dryvit Called: Cornerstone’s NewBrick Installation Story

Most contractors install products. Some get invited by the manufacturer to help put them to the test.

Cornerstone’s experience with Dryvit’s NewBrick system began with installation training, followed by a commercial installation at the Rockland Trust project in Brockton.

During that project, several experienced Dryvit representatives visited the active jobsite to see how the installation was progressing. They watched the Cornerstone crew work, asked questions, and observed how experienced masons approached the system in real jobsite conditions.

What followed was an invitation for owner Christopher Lammey and his team to visit Dryvit’s Rhode Island headquarters and participate in a comparative installation study involving NewBrick and thin-brick systems from other manufacturers.

What Is Dryvit NewBrick?

NewBrick is a lightweight, insulated brick veneer designed to provide the appearance and texture of traditional brick with substantially less weight.

Each unit contains an insulated core encapsulated by reinforced, factory-applied coatings, with mortar applied in the field to complete the brick appearance.

The system can be installed over compatible exterior insulation systems and approved solid surfaces, giving architects, contractors, and building owners another option where traditional full-depth brick may not be practical.

Like any engineered veneer system, however, the product is only one part of the finished result. Layout, alignment, corners, openings, transitions, and mortar joints still depend on careful planning and skilled installation.

Proven on an Active Commercial Jobsite

Cornerstone had already installed NewBrick at the Rockland Trust Bank project in Brockton when Dryvit came to observe the team.

This was not a controlled showroom demonstration. It was an active commercial masonry project with real building conditions, adjacent materials, scheduling considerations, and architectural details.

The Dryvit representatives were able to see how the Cornerstone crew approached the work as it was happening. That included handling and laying out the material, maintaining consistent courses, working around openings and transitions, completing detail work, and producing a finished brick veneer appropriate for the building.

They did not have to rely on photographs of a completed project. They saw the installation underway on an active commercial property, including the real site conditions, architectural details, and coordination involved in the work.

That jobsite visit ultimately led to the invitation to Rhode Island.

From Brockton to Dryvit’s Rhode Island Facility

Following the Rockland Trust installation, Dryvit invited Chris and his crew to its Rhode Island headquarters to participate in a comparative installation study.

A series of test walls had been prepared with real installation details, including openings and corners. Cornerstone installed NewBrick alongside thin-brick systems from other manufacturers so the different products and installation methods could be compared under similar conditions.

The installations were timed and filmed as Chris and his team worked through the process from beginning to end on both interior and exterior test walls.

The purpose was not simply to produce finished display panels. Dryvit was able to observe how the systems went together in the hands of an experienced masonry crew and compare the installation process across products.

Working on the test walls also required the same attention to layout and detail that applies on an active jobsite. Corners, openings, transitions, course alignment, and mortar joints all had to be handled as part of the installation rather than treated as idealized flat-wall demonstrations.

During the study, Chris also met with the designer and inventor of the NewBrick system. They discussed the installation firsthand, including what worked well and where Chris saw opportunities for improvement.

That conversation matters because experienced installers see products differently than someone looking at them on paper. Chris was able to evaluate the system from the perspective of a mason actually laying out the work, making cuts, handling corners and openings, and completing the installation.

Cornerstone brought the same methodical approach to the test walls that the team brings to residential and commercial masonry projects throughout southeastern Massachusetts.

Why the Manufacturer Invitation Matters

For Cornerstone, the invitation itself was the compliment.

Dryvit was already working with contractors using NewBrick. After representatives saw Cornerstone installing the system on an active commercial project, the company invited Chris and his crew to Rhode Island to put NewBrick and other thin-brick systems through their paces.

Cornerstone did not apply for recognition or prepare a special demonstration to attract the manufacturer’s attention. The relationship grew out of work the crew was already doing in the field.

The experience reflects something that has been consistent throughout Chris’s more than forty years in masonry: understand the material, understand the building, and pay attention to the details that determine whether the finished work is actually right.

Skilled Installation Matters

New masonry products can offer meaningful design and construction advantages, but the product itself is only part of the finished result.

A successful brick veneer installation requires an experienced contractor who understands both the manufacturer’s system and the fundamentals of masonry construction. The installer must account for the substrate, system requirements, building details, material transitions, and the visual consistency of the completed facade.

Those considerations are particularly important in New England, where exterior materials must perform through changing temperatures, moisture, and repeated seasonal exposure.

With more than forty years of hands-on masonry experience, Chris brings an established understanding of brick, stone, block, concrete, and specialty veneer systems to each project.

That experience allows Cornerstone to pair proven masonry practices with newer products and installation methods when they are appropriate for the building.

The question is not simply whether a product can be installed. It is whether the system makes sense for the project, how it needs to be installed, and what details will determine the quality of the finished work.

Commercial Masonry Experience in Southeastern Massachusetts

Based in Easton, Cornerstone Masonry Services works with general contractors, property managers, businesses, and building owners throughout southeastern Massachusetts, including Brockton.

Commercial capabilities include:

• Brick and manufactured masonry veneer installation
• Exterior stone veneer and masonry facades
• Masonry repair and restoration
• Repointing and joint repair
• Retaining walls
• Concrete and masonry site improvements
• ADA masonry improvements
• Loading docks, bollards, and light pole bases

Whether a project calls for traditional masonry or an engineered veneer system such as NewBrick, Cornerstone brings practical guidance, careful installation, and direct owner involvement from planning through completion.

Not every contractor gets a call from the manufacturer.

Cornerstone did.