More Than Bricklayers: What You Need to Know About Masonry Contractors in Racine, WI

There is a common misconception that masons and bricklayers are essentially the same thing. While there is a little bit of overlap in what the two do, not all bricklayers are masons, while all masons are capable of being bricklayers. Masons will generally have much more advanced knowledge of not just bricklaying techniques, but other types of masonry work that makes them more versatile and highly valuable to various types of construction jobs.

Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect out of bricklayers versus masonry contractors in Racine, WI.

What do bricklayers do?

Bricklayers are generally hired for the purpose of building walls, chimneys, some decorative features with bricks around the home and various other types of structures that require brick work. They typically spread mortar on to the sides of the bricks and cement the stones all together into a row as evenly as possible. To make sure their work is level, bricklayers will use a guide line, which usually is either a piece of twine or string that gets pulled taut across a work area and acts as a level.

What do masons do?

While masons perform the same duties as bricklayers in some circumstances, they are not limited to the above types of jobs. They have much more experience, skill and training in the field of masonry that allows them to perform more advanced brickwork and other types of projects.

For example, you might hire a mason to perform restorations of walls or concrete buildings, to design and install fireplaces (or repair existing ones), to create sophisticated and unique stone signage, to perform etching work in concrete and brick or just about any task that requires more in-depth, skilled brick cutting. Masons don’t just work with brick, either—they’re also able to take on jobs involving other types of stone, like granite, marble and limestone, as well as jobs involving tiling. Some masons will also have specific areas of work in which they specialize, or specific materials with which they prefer to work.

Construction sites will often bring in masons to manage most of the brick, concrete and stone work, and those masons may then contract out bricklayers while focusing on some of the more sophisticated and complicated elements of the project themselves. There are also other professionals, such as plasterers, scaffolders, hod carriers and more who may perform some of the work involved in bricklaying or masonry, but who might not have the same scope of work at a job site that an experienced masonry contractor does.

This should at least give you a general idea of some of the differences that exist between masons and bricklayers and what the responsibilities of each type of contractor are. If you’re interested in learning more about the types of services we provide as masonry contractors in Racine, WI, we encourage you to get in touch with the expert team at Langenfeld Masonry & Concrete today. We look forward to discussing the specifics of your project.

Categorised in: Masonry Contractor