What is a Mason and How do You Know You Need One?

Owning a home can be a major investment for the homeowner’s future.

Whether the return on that investment is providing a safe and comfortable home for their future family or increasing the value of the property for a future sale, proper maintenance and repairs are important.

Understanding the importance of a mason can help with the various aspects of home improvements.

What is a Mason?

The term mason is often confused with a bricklayer. However, these two professionals are actually quite different in the work that they do.

There are specific projects that need a mason, it is important to understand the difference because a bricklayer may not be able to perform the work needed properly.

A bricklayer is a construction professional who focuses primarily on construction that utilizes clay or concrete bricks and blocks. Any wall built with bricks or blocks was probably created by a bricklayer.

A mason, however, creates construction products using stone, marble, granite, and other natural materials, either with or without the use of mortar.

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What Types of Work Do Masons Do?

A bricklayer creates walls and walkways with bricks or blocks of the same size. They place these bricks or blocks in the basic pattern needed and use mortar to secure the bricks in place.

A mason’s work is a little more complicated and requires an understanding of the materials being used to have a successfully completed structure.

A mason utilizes different types of stones, often of varying sizes and shapes, to create walls, walkways, and other features around a home.

Unlike bricks and blocks, these materials cannot be easily placed to create the structure. The materials must be matched properly to ensure the structure holds and maintains a certain level of appeal.

When a mason applies these materials to create the construction project, they often use mortar to hold the elements in place, similar to a bricklayer.

However, there are some masonry projects where the mason uses the structure of the materials to create walls, walkways, and other projects without the use of mortar.

How Can Masonry Benefit a Home?

Whether adding masonry to various features outside the home or creating walls and structures on or in the home, masonry can provide a plethora of benefits to the entirety of the property.

Just the beauty of the masonry can be a great benefit for homeowners. It can also increase the appeal and value of the home when planning to sell in the future.

Much of the increased value due to masonry comes from the structural durability of the finished product.

Masonry is very resistant to the various elements of nature, such as wind, hail, and rain. It is also fire and termite-resistant. This durability also reduces the costs of maintenance and repairs.

How to Know When a Mason is Needed

It is easy to know when a mason is required for a home project. Any stonework that is needed for the home or any repairs to stonework already in the home should be performed by a professional mason. This will ensure the work is done right and will last for many years to come.

Whether planning to build a stone fireplace in the home or wanting to create beautiful features in the yard, a mason is the best option to create features that will stand the test of time and provide an aesthetically pleasing environment for the home.