How to properly select masonry tools?
Masonry tools are often used for various home and garden jobs, starting with minor works related to building or repairing walls, stairs, paths, and ending with serious, such as extending a home.
Masonry is one of these skills, which for a self-taught person are a source of great satisfaction. Its foundation is laying bricks evenly and straight, that is, maintaining the level and straight line of the wall, in what
it is necessary to skillfully use a few simple tools.
The most useful is a spirit level, which is used to check the level of the laid layer of bricks in the constructed structure and to check the verticality of the edges of the erected walls. The best for this is strong, long metal spirit level (long spirit levels are always more accurate than short spirit levels). Its length should be approx. 1000 mm.
Cords
Cords, which we rub with chalk, are used to draw a line, e.g.. on flat concrete foundations Cord W masonry clamps will ensure the horizontal arrangement of each layer of bricks in relation to each other during bricklaying. The clamps hammered into the mortar at the ends of the wall are used to tighten the cord right next to the wall face. After laying a layer of bricks, the rope and the clasps are to be Spread to the next higher Bvar Layer.
A trowel is required for masonry work, which is used for applying and spreading mortar. There is also a trowel handle
useful – it is used to put the bricks in the right position.
There are many types and sizes of trowels on sale. The most common lengths are 250, 275, 300 mm. For minor masonry work, a trowel of smaller sizes is more convenient. The smoothing of the mortar in the joints is made by a trowel in the shape of a steel flat bar, called a jointing iron.
Breaking bricks
It is best to use a chisel to divide bricks, whose blade is wide 1 00 mm, and a mason's hammer. Use the chisel to tap the brick around the drawn line. At the end, we divide it in half with one strong blow.
Some masons split bricks using a trowel, what should not be done, as this can bend the blade and damage it.
It is best to remove the old grout from the joints with a special narrow cutter with a rounded edge.