Any old-school masons? Need help.

[Mr.JAG]

I'm having one hell of a time trying to figure out what a section of my home is built with. The MLS and Tax forms claimed cinder block (it is NOT), and I believe I seen "tile" listed under construction type on one of the many documents associated with it. It's certainly some type of block, but it isn't cinder block.

Built in 1945.

I've scratched off about a half-dollar size of paint in the picture below. It's a very smooth surface, almost glazed like. Kind of a pearl(ish) marble(ish) appearance. Blocks are roughly 12inx5in.

I've searched the internet for 2+ hours without any luck.

I

 

[jmiller676]

In the old days they use to have forms that a builder would cure his own foundation blocks on site. The texture would vary depending on which form they used (brand) and the type of mixture. However, not sure if this was done in 1945 still. Sorry I can't help anymore.

 

[Thegeek]

Hard to say just looking at that small spot. Where is that facing? It wasn't uncommon to tile over a block foundation to make the outside look pretty, or even use faced block. I'm going to say that pic wasn't taken from the crawl or basement. That's where you need to look.

 

[Arm America]

Looks like fired tile block to me.
I have seen a lot of it in older schools and prisons, mostly red in color.
Hard as the dickens and would last forever.

 

[Snapdragon]

Maybe it's glazed cinder block? Spectra Group International | CAD, BIM, Catalog, Gallery, Specs, CEU, Green - Sweets

 

[Mr.JAG]

Hard to say just looking at that small spot. Where is that facing? It wasn't uncommon to tile over a block foundation to make the outside look pretty, or even use faced block. I'm going to say that pic wasn't taken from the crawl or basement. That's where you need to look.

Picture is taken from within the bedroom closet. It was the only place I was willing to remove paint for investigation. This is a slab foundation home, so no crawl space or basement. The outside of the house is stucco (or EIFS), so I really have no idea what the block looks like from that angle.

Looks like fired tile block to me.
I have seen a lot of it in older schools and prisons, mostly red in color.
Hard as the dickens and would last forever.

Funny you say that. One of my older neighbors that's been around the area a while said the house looked like an old pharmacy before the previous owner put on the stucco. It was a whitish silver/grey from the outside though, not red.