Our bricklayers build and repair walls, chimney stacks, tunnel linings and decorative stonework like archways. Their jobs range from a house extension to a middle to large commercial development. They also sometimes refurbish brickwork and masonry on restoration projects. The bricklayer specifications are as follows:
Bricklayers - who also called brickmasons and blockmasons - create attractive, durable surfaces and structures. For thousands of years, these workers have built buildings, fences, roads, walkways, and walls using bricks, concrete blocks, and natural stone. The structures that they build will continue to be in demand for years to come.
The work varies in complexity, from laying a simple masonry walkway to installing an ornate exterior on a highrise building. Workers cut or break the materials used to create walls, floors, and other structures. Once their building materials are properly sized, they are laid with or without a binding material. These workers use their own perceptions and a variety of tools to ensure that the structure meets the desired standards. After finishing laying the bricks, blocks, or stone, these workers clean the finished product with a variety of cleaning agents.
Our bricklayers build and repair walls, floors, partitions, fireplaces, chimneys, and other structures with brick, precast masonry panels, concrete block, and other masonry materials. Some of them also specialize in installing firebrick linings in industrial furnaces.
When building a structure, bricklayers use one of two methods, either the corner lead or the corner pole. Using the corner lead method, they begin by constructing a pyramid of bricks at each corner—called a lead. After the corner leads are complete, less experienced bricklayers fill in the wall between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick. Due to the precision needed, corner leads are time-consuming to erect and require the skills of experienced bricklayers.
Because of the expense associated with building corner leads, some bricklayers use corner poles, also called masonry guides, which enable them to build an entire wall at the same time. They fasten the corner poles (posts) in a plumb position to define the wall line and stretch a line between them. This line serves as a guide for each course of brick. Bricklayers then spread a bed of mortar (a cement, lime, sand, and water mixture) with a trowel (a flat, bladed metal tool with a handle), place the brick on the mortar bed, and press and tap the brick into place. Depending on blueprint specifications, bricklayers either cut bricks with a hammer and chisel or saw them to fit around windows, doors, and other openings. Mortar joints are then finished with jointing tools for a sealed, neat, uniform appearance. Although bricklayers typically use steel supports, or lintels, at window and door openings, they sometimes build brick arches, which support and enhance the beauty of the brickwork.
After a structure is completed there is still work that often needs to be done. Pointing, cleaning, and caulking workers can be the final workers on a job or the primary workers on a restoration project. These workers use chemicals to clean the laid materials to give the structure a finished appearance. Older structures also need to be refurbished as the mortar or binding agents break down. In many cases a grinder or blade is used to carefully remove the old mortar. Special care is taken to not damage the main structural integrity or the bricks, blocks, or stone. New mortar is then inserted. Depending on how much mortar is being replaced and how, it may take several applications to allow the new mortar to cure properly. These same specialists replace and repair damaged masonry materials as part of the building’s restoration process.
Our stonemasons build stone walls, as well as set stone exteriors and floors. They work with two types of stone—natural cut stone, such as marble, granite, and limestone and artificial stone made from concrete, marble chips, or other masonry materials. The stonemasons usually work on nonresidential structures, such as houses of worship, hotels, and office buildings, but they also work on private homes.
Stonemasons often work from a set of drawings, in which each stone has been numbered for identification. Helpers may locate and carry these prenumbered stones to the masons. A derrick operator using a hoist may be needed to lift large stone pieces into place.
When building a stone wall, stonemasons set the first course of stones into a shallow bed of mortar. They then align the stones with wedges, plumb lines, and levels, and work them into position with various tools. Masons continue to build the wall by alternating layers of mortar and courses of stone. As the work progresses, masons remove the wedges, fill the joints between stones, and use a pointed metal tool, called a tuck pointer, to smooth the mortar to an attractive finish. To hold large stones in place, stonemasons attach brackets to the stone and weld or bolt these brackets to anchors in the wall. Finally, masons wash the stone with a cleansing solution to remove stains and dry mortar.
When setting stone floors, which often consist of large and heavy pieces of stone, masons first use a trowel to spread a layer of damp mortar over the surface to be covered. Using crowbars and hard rubber mallets for aligning and leveling, they then set the stone in the mortar bed. To finish, workers fill the joints and clean the stone slabs.
Stonemasons use a special hammer and chisel to cut stone. They cut stone along the grain to make various shapes and sizes, and valuable pieces often are cut with a saw that has a diamond blade. Some professionals specialize in setting marble which, in many respects, is similar to setting large pieces of stone. Bricklayers and stonemasons also repair imperfections and cracks, and replace broken or missing masonry units in walls and floors.
Many nonresidential buildings now are built with walls made of concrete block, brick veneer, stone, granite, marble, tile, or glass. In the past, bricklayers doing nonresidential interior work mainly built block partition walls and elevator shafts, but because many types of masonry and stone are used in the interiors of today’s nonresidential structures, these workers now must be more versatile. For example, many bricklayers now install structural insulated concrete units and wall panels. They also install a variety of masonry anchors and other masonry-associated accessories used in many highrise buildings.
Go back to the home page to find a skilled and responsible bricklayer to do the job for you - find a bricklayer (specialities: garden walls, chimney building, chimney repairs, chimneys, repointing, stonework, stone cladding).
Aerial and Network Specialists | Bathroom Specialists | Bricklayers | Builders | Carpenters and Joiners | Drainage Specialists | Electricians | Flooring Specialists | Gardeners and Garden Designers | Heating Engineers | Kitchen Specialists | Loft Conversion Specialists | Metalworkers | Painters and Decorators | Plasterers and Renderers | Plumbers | Refurbishment Specialists | Roofers | Security Specialists | Speciality Tradesmen | Stoneworkers and Stonemasons | Swimming Pool Specialists | Tilers | Traditional Craftsmen | Window and Conservatory Specialists
London: Woodford | Hainault | Chingford || Essex: Loughton | Chigwell | Buckhurst Hill | Epping | Theydon Bois | Harlow || Hertfordshire: Cheshunt | Waltham Cross | Waltham Abbey
Home | Find a Tradesman | Register as a Tradesman | Services | About Us | Contact Us | Terms and Privacy Policy | Site Map
Copyright © 2008 1st Quote Tradesmen - Quality Tradesmen Online - London Essex Hertfordshire. All Rights Reserved.
Web design and development: Everest Computers