Construction Knowledge Series: What is "CMU Veneer"?

CMU Veneer is a very durable siding product made from concrete blocks that is easily maintained and much less expensive than brick veneer. 

Most people have a clear mental picture when they think of a CMU (Cement Masonry Unit) Wall.  CMU walls are made of 8” x 8” x 16” hollow concrete blocks laid with mortar.  They are almost always reinforced with rebar and the hollow portions are filled with concrete.  These are regularly seen in parking garages and small public buildings like park restrooms.

Unlike CMU walls, CMU Veneer is a non-structural siding applied to the outside of a wall made up of 4” thick CMU blocks.  CMU Veneer requires anchoring into the adjacent wall system with part of those anchors embedded into the mortar joints of CMU Veneer.  There is an air gap between the wall and the veneer to ensure that any water that might get behind the CMU drains down the wall to keep the building dry.  CMU Veneer is very common on the exterior of schools.  The photos in this post are from a completed Warfield Masonry project at Harvard Elementary School in Tacoma, WA.

The next time you see CMU wainscot on a building, look to see if you can tell if it is a CMU Veneer or full CMU wall.