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What Is Masonry?

Masonry is the construction craft of building structures from individual units — stone, brick, concrete block, or similar materials — joined together with mortar. It’s one of the oldest building techniques humans have used, and despite steel, glass, and concrete dominating modern construction, masonry remains essential. Every brick building, stone wall, fireplace, chimney, and block foundation you’ve ever seen was built by a mason.

The appeal is straightforward: masonry structures are strong, durable, fire-resistant, and — when done well — beautiful. Some of the oldest surviving buildings on Earth are masonry. The Pantheon in Rome is nearly 2,000 years old. The Great Wall of China has lasted centuries. Your neighborhood’s brick houses will likely outlast their owners’ grandchildren.

Materials

Brick

Bricks are manufactured clay units, fired in kilns at 1,800-2,400°F. Standard bricks measure roughly 3.5 x 2.25 x 8 inches, sized to fit comfortably in one hand. They come in a range of colors depending on clay composition and firing temperature — reds, browns, tans, grays, and whites.

Modern bricks are remarkably uniform and strong, with compressive strengths of 3,000-15,000+ PSI. The standardized dimensions allow for efficient, predictable construction.

Concrete Block (CMU)

Concrete masonry units are larger than bricks (typically 8 x 8 x 16 inches) and made from Portland cement and aggregates. They’re cheaper and faster to lay than brick, making them the standard for foundations, retaining walls, and commercial construction. The hollow cores can be filled with rebar and concrete for added strength.

Natural Stone

Limestone, granite, sandstone, marble, slate, and other natural stones are cut and shaped for construction. Stone masonry is the most labor-intensive and expensive form but produces the most visually striking results. Techniques range from “rubble” masonry (irregular stones fitted together) to “ashlar” (precisely cut rectangular blocks).

Mortar

The binding material between masonry units. Modern mortar is a mixture of Portland cement, lime, sand, and water. Different mortar types (M, S, N, O, K) have different strength and flexibility characteristics suited to different applications. Getting the mortar right matters enormously — bad mortar can cause an entire wall to fail.

How It’s Done

A mason’s basic workflow for laying brick:

Layout. The first course (row) is laid dry to establish spacing and ensure everything lines up with openings (doors, windows). A string line is stretched between corners to guide each subsequent course.

Spreading mortar. Mortar is spread on the previous course using a trowel — the mason’s primary tool. The bed joint (horizontal mortar layer) is typically 3/8 inch thick. Head joints (vertical mortar between bricks) are buttered onto each brick before placement.

Laying. Each brick is pressed into the mortar bed and tapped into alignment with the string line and level. Speed and consistency matter — a skilled mason lays 400-500 bricks per day, maintaining level, plumb (vertical straightness), and uniform joint width throughout.

Tooling joints. After the mortar begins to set (the “thumbprint” test — if you can press your thumb into the mortar and leave a clean print, it’s ready), joints are finished with a jointing tool. Concave joints are most common and most weather-resistant.

Cleanup. Excess mortar is removed, and the finished surface is brushed clean.

The process looks simple. It’s not. Maintaining consistent joint width, keeping walls plumb and level, turning corners, building around openings, and creating proper drainage details all require skills that take years to develop. A poorly built masonry wall looks obviously wrong — wavering courses, inconsistent joints, and visible misalignment.

Bond Patterns

The arrangement of bricks in a wall is called a “bond pattern.” Different patterns offer different structural and aesthetic properties:

Running bond — the most common pattern, with each course offset by half a brick. Simple, strong, and efficient.

Stack bond — bricks aligned vertically with no offset. Visually modern but structurally weaker. Often used as veneer over a structural backup wall.

Flemish bond — alternating headers (short face) and stretchers (long face) in each course. Beautiful and historically common in Georgian and Colonial architecture.

English bond — alternating courses of all headers and all stretchers. Very strong, historically used for thick structural walls.

Structural vs. Veneer

An important distinction in modern construction:

Structural masonry — the masonry itself carries the building’s loads. This was the only option before steel and concrete frames. Thick walls (often 12-24 inches) support floors and roofs directly. Many older buildings, churches, and institutional structures are structural masonry.

Veneer masonry — a thin layer (one brick thick) attached to a structural frame of wood, steel, or concrete. The masonry provides weather protection and aesthetics; the frame carries the loads. This is how most modern brick buildings work — the brick is essentially a skin, not a structure.

The distinction matters because it affects how walls handle moisture, thermal performance, and structural loads. Modern masonry veneer systems include air spaces, drainage planes, and flashing to manage water infiltration.

Masonry Today

The masonry trade faces familiar challenges: an aging workforce, difficulty attracting young workers, and competition from other cladding systems (metal panels, composite materials, stucco). But masonry’s advantages — fire resistance, thermal mass, durability, acoustic performance, and aesthetic appeal — keep it in demand.

The trade is also adapting. Thin brick and stone veneers reduce material costs. Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks offer improved insulation. Masonry heaters and bake ovens are growing in the residential market. And the restoration of historic masonry buildings is a substantial and growing niche — there are a lot of old brick buildings that need expert care.

For anyone considering the trade, masonry offers something increasingly rare: the satisfaction of building something physical that will outlast you by generations. Every mason who passes an old brick building they built gets to think, “I made that.” And it’s still standing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a bricklayer and a mason?

A bricklayer works specifically with bricks and concrete blocks. A mason (or stonemason) may work with natural stone, cut stone, brick, block, and other masonry materials. In practice, the terms often overlap, and many professionals do both. Stonemasonry generally requires more specialized skills, particularly for cutting and fitting natural stone.

How long does masonry last?

Properly built masonry is among the most durable construction methods. Brick buildings commonly last 100+ years. Stone structures can endure for centuries or even millennia — the Pyramids of Giza are over 4,500 years old. The key factors are material quality, mortar composition, drainage design, and ongoing maintenance.

Is masonry a good career?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4% job growth for masons through 2032. Median pay is about $48,000-55,000 annually, with experienced masons in high-demand areas earning significantly more. The trade offers good pay without college debt, strong union options in many regions, and the satisfaction of building things that last. The main downsides are physical demands, weather exposure, and seasonal work in cold climates.

Further Reading

• Mason Contractors Association of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Masonry Workers
• The Masonry Society