product: Ultralite Mortar
manufacturer: MAPEI
web: mapei.com

This lightweight mortar uses MAPEI’s new "Easy Glide" formula to lock large slabs in place and minimize sag. The product’s manufacturer asserts that only 1 pound of Ultralite is needed to do the work of every 2 pounds of a traditional thin-set mortar.

product: Cut & Bond
manufacturer: Hanson Brick
web: hansonbrick.com

Traditionally, brick corners or arches over doors or windows are cut on site and bonded together leaving a seam. This collection of precut and prebonded shapes allows the mason to easily assemble a corner or arch without visible joints, while also cutting time and cost. Hanson’s "New Concept Jack Arch" for windows and doors comes with angled bricks on either side of a keystone, with voussoirs that are already mortared together.

product: Arcadian
manufacturer: Haddonstone
web: haddonstone.com

Suitable for applications that require simple stone shapes—such as windowsills or cladding panels—Arcadian is produced by means of a multicasting system and accelerated vapor curing, which allows the product to attain overnight the equivalent of seven days of strengthening, while also minimizing primary efflorescence and helping to ensure color uniformity. The stone pieces come in two standard hues, Portland and Bath, and custom colors.

product: Spectrum
manufacturer: Belden Brick
web: beldenbrick.com

The Spectrum Series introduces a new array of colors—starting with Ashberry (left) and Brandywine—that are a shade darker than the tones Belden Brick previously produced. Available in sizes ranging from Modular (3-5/8 inches by 2-1/4 inches by 7-5/8 inches) to a new dimension Belden calls Double Monarch (3-5/8 inches by 7-5/8 inches by 15-5/8 inches), the series meets the ASTM standard for Facing Brick, Grade SW, Type FBX.