Colorado Real Estate Journal -

Community News

---

Masonry contractors build home in Parker for injured Army veteran

Members of the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute spent a weekend in May constructing a brick home in Parker for injured Army veteran Cpl. Nick Orchowski.

Led by RMMI President Jim Serowski and his masons from JVS Masonry, the project was part of the Homes For Our Troops volunteer effort to provide specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans. Serowski worked with general contractor Milender White to modify the plans for the home to include an all-brick exterior so the home will never require painting or other labor-intensive maintenance.

“When I opened up the drawings and saw there was siding on this home, I made some phone calls and we as a masonry industry changed this home to a maintenance free exterior,” said Serowski.

Working under plastic sheeting to ward off the rain, the masons laid brick that was donated to the project by Acme Brick of Denver.

The masons used scaffolding donated by Colorado Scaffolding, mortar donated by Quikrete, materials donated by Rio Grande Supply Co., lintels donated by ThreeWit-Cooper and sills donated by Zement Stone.

Rod Hayward of ThreeWit-Cooper carried hod (a box for transporting bricks and mortar) for the masons for both days of the construction project.

JoAnn McDermot of Selway Masonry, Gary Feiner of TXI and Nancy Partridge of RMMI also pitched in, providing lunch for the crews and carrying hod.

Masons from Gallegos Masonry joined the crew from JVS to complete the house, with lunch and hod-carrying assistance from Lyle and Sherrie Hartman of Colorado Scaffolding and Jim Serowski’s wife, Julie Serowski.