A mason is a skilled individual who can work with a range of different materials such as brick, stone, concrete and are knowledgeable when it comes to installing structures such as chimneys, walls, entire homes, and patios for instance.
They have broad expertise and are vital to the construction of any building. Especially when it comes to improving the aesthetics of a home or an office building, they can lend a hand in adding some curb appeal to something simple and making it look amazing. From a stone accent wall in a home to a pathway in your garden, a masonry contractor can do all of this for you both on the inside and outside of a building.
The highly skilled experts can guide you into finding ways to most the most of your space and give their expert opinion based on what works and what cannot work. There are typically three types of masons, and a more in-depth explanation can be found here, each with its types of specialties, which we discuss below.
Brick Masons
Brick masons usually work with all types of bricks. From solid to veneer, real and manufactured bricks, are referred to as “bricklayers” and are skilled at the process involved when building walls, patios, columns, and fireplaces.
It is a carefully implemented process and needs attention, and they are the right guys for the job.
Stone Masons
Those who can handle either manufactured or natural stone, are also called “stoneworkers”, and can help to build facades in homes and walls for both the interiors and the exteriors, as well as the flooring.
They have the skills and knowledge to manipulate any type of similar materials to make it fit into a space, big or small, so it looks and feels good. They can discuss the best possible options for both your budget as well as the project as a whole.
Concrete Masonry Contractors
The third kind is the concrete masons’ workers and they work with block and poured concrete. Pouring concrete to a floor or a wall requires immaculate conception, and the levelling, finishing’s and managing of the workspaces is their responsibility. If they have a broader skill level they can also work with metal reinforcements that are installed for support in the majority of the buildings.
They can help you with designing and creating your driveway, sidewalks, walls, columns, patios, and in laying the foundation of the house.
If anything is broken, they can also help fix things such as replacing mortar on your walls and surfaces, as well as adjusting or rebuilding compromised structures. They can also help fix cracks on surfaces to ensure it looks good again.
How to find the Right Masonry Contractor for The Job
If you’re getting something as important as a wall built, there are a few things you can do to find a contractor for your needs, but the below fours recommendations should get you on the right track.
Get Estimates from Everyone: When you first do your search, either online or ask around for a recommendation, it may be the case that what’s right for others may not be right for you. Every job is different and unique and you need the right man with the skills and know-how to complete it.
Once you have found a few via an online search in your local area, it is always best to choose the top three that you like and get a written estimate on how much the job will cost.
According to some of the well-established services, like the contractors on masonrycontractors.com, when you filter them to three options, you will be able to get a good idea of how much things will cost on average.
Don’t always go with the cheapest one you find, as their quality of work may not be good, however, it is a matter of seeing what other jobs they have completed and sassing things out from there. Perhaps sometimes they are cheap but also do a good job.
Find the Person with The Right Area of Expertise: in many cases, you could be lucky and find a jack of all trades. However, it is always best to choose someone (independent or a subcontractor), who specializes in certain jobs and finding the one with the eight areas of expertise will save you time and money and they will know about all the latest trends and give you the best and most concrete advice regarding any job.
One contractor may have the best experience and is known for building walls while the other may be the same at building a decent fireplace. Choosing the one that’s right for the job is recommended.
Ask for References: When you speak to the companies or individuals, you should always ask for references from previous clients and the work they have done. This will give you a good indication of how well, or how bad, a job they did. Most often they would have customer reviews on their website. Go through them and see what others are saying. If there are more positive ones than negative ones, you know you are on the right track.
Go with Your Gut Feeling: At the end of the day, always go with your gut when deciding to hire the final choice. However, always make sure you get a signed contract from them before any work starts and read through everything including the fine print.
It may sound complicated to choose the right person or team for the job, but spending time doing this will mean you have gone with the best one for your budget, as opposed to rushing things and hiring someone who does a shabby job. At the end of the day, you will need to live with it and if it’s not a stable wall or chimney, it could not only look like it but also be dangerous to live in an unstable space.
Once they have completed the work, always make sure you check to see that everything required has been accomplished to the highest standard, if anything is out of place, make sure you let them know to fix it before they leave the premises.
