Decorative masonry system

Abstract

A decorative masonry system includes a first block having a first body portion and a first plurality of edges and a second block having a second body portion and a second plurality of edges. A first gutter is defined by a portion of the first plurality of edges, and a second gutter is defined by a portion of the second plurality of edges. The decorative masonry system further includes mastic configured to operably couple the first and second blocks to a substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A decorative masonry system comprising:
 a first block having a first body portion and a first plurality of edges, wherein the first block includes a first engagement feature;   a second block having a second body portion and a second plurality of edges, wherein the second block includes a second engagement feature;   a first gutter defined by a portion of the first plurality of edges;   a second gutter defined by a portion of the second plurality of edges; and   mastic configured to operably couple the first and second blocks to a substrate, wherein the first and second gutters are configured to receive a portion of the mastic to allow the first block to engage the second block in a surface-to-surface engagement.   
     
     
         2 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second engagement features are integrally formed with one of the first and second body portions, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 2 , wherein the first engagement feature of the first block is configured to matingly couple with the second engagement feature of the second block. 
     
     
         4 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second plurality of edges includes an edge surface positioned perpendicular to a front surface of the respective block of the first and second blocks. 
     
     
         5 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 4 , wherein the edge surface of the first block is configured to align with the edge surface of the second block to form a seam that defines the surface-to-surface engagement. 
     
     
         6 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second plurality of edges further includes an angled surface extending rearward of the respective edge surface. 
     
     
         7 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 6 , wherein the angled surface at least partially defines the respective gutter of the first and second gutters. 
     
     
         8 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 6 , wherein the angled surface is positioned at an angle from about 5° to about 85° measured from the edge surface. 
     
     
         9 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 1 , wherein the first gutter is aligned with the second gutter to form a channel that is configured to receive a portion of the mastic. 
     
     
         10 . A decorative masonry system comprising:
 a block having a body portion and a plurality of edges, wherein the body portion includes a front surface and each edge of the plurality of edges includes an edge surface and a portion of the plurality of edges includes an angled surface;   a gutter defined by each angled surface of the plurality of edges; and   mastic configured to operably couple a rear surface of the block to a substrate, wherein at least portion of the mastic is configured to flow into the gutter.   
     
     
         11 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the block includes an engagement feature integrally formed with the body portion and is surrounded by the plurality of edges. 
     
     
         12 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein a plurality of protrusions extends from the front surface of the block, and further wherein the plurality of protrusions are configured to resemble masonry materials. 
     
     
         13 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the edge surface of each edge of the plurality of edges is positioned perpendicular to the front surface of the block. 
     
     
         14 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the angled surface of each edge of the plurality of edges is positioned at an angle from about 5° to about 85° measured from the respective edge surface. 
     
     
         15 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the angled surface of each edge of the plurality of edges is positioned at an angle from about 30° to about 75° measured from the respective edge surface. 
     
     
         16 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the edges of the plurality of edges define a continuous gutter extending about a perimeter of the block. 
     
     
         17 . The decorative masonry system of  claim 10 , wherein the edge surface of the block, when positioned at a lower edge of the substrate, is configured to form a seam with a base substrate. 
     
     
         18 . A method for making a decorative masonry system, comprising steps of:
 providing a mold configured to shape a decorative masonry block, the decorative masonry block having a body portion and an engagement feature, wherein a plurality of edges of the decorative masonry block define a gutter;   forming a first block and a second block from a formable material using the mold;   applying mastic to a rear surface of each of the first block and the second block;   placing the first block on a substrate so that the mastic is positioned between the rear surface of the first block and substrate; and   displacing the mastic along the plurality of edges of the body portion and the engagement feature of the first block, wherein the gutter is configured to receive displaced mastic to prevent the displaced mastic from engaging a surface-to-surface seam defined between the first and second blocks.   
     
     
         19 . The method for making a decorative masonry system of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 placing the second block on the substrate so that the mastic is positioned between the rear surface of the second block and the substrate and the second block is aligned with the first block; and   aligning one of the plurality of edges of the second block is engaged with one of the plurality of edges of the first block to define the surface-to-surface seam.   
     
     
         20 . The method for making a decorative masonry system of  claim 18 , wherein the step of displacing the mastic along the plurality of edges of the body portion and the engagement feature of the first block includes applying pressure to a front surface of the first block.