What brickwork training does a Bricklayer require?

 A bricklaying apprenticeship is normally of three or four years in duration. It normally involves a mixture of four days a week on a brickwork site and one day a week at a training college where the theory of brickwork and bricklaying, and honing of skills is learnt.

It is also possible to be a bricklayer by learning the craft from a skilled craftsperson – this was the traditional way into the trade – but this route does not deliver any qualifications and so is not generally encouraged because of new requirements relating to health & safety on a work site and the legal requirement of holding a CSCS card. The Construction Skills Certification Scheme has been a requirement since 1995.

Laying bricks can be a demanding occupation that requires heavy, physical working in all weathers. As well as enjoying working outdoors, aspiring bricklayers will be required to:

  • Have a good level of fitness.
  • Have good hand-to-eye co-ordination.
  • Pay great attention to detail.
  • Be good communicators.

Dexterity in the use of tools and materials is a prerequisite. As well as mastering the art of laying bricks and blocks, a bricklayer must:

  • Have a feel for the right mortar mix and consistency according to the brick type and prevailing temperature;
  • Understand the steelwork that is necessary in modern brickwork and be familiar with its installation e.g wall ties, angles, expanded metal lathe (EML), sliding anchor ties etc;
  • Be able to set-out work;
  • Be able to measure and cut materials accurately;
  • Understand movement joints and their correct installation;
  • Use specialist tools and equipment such as a cement mixer;
  • Accurately cut and position damp-proof courses.
  • Understand the use, performance and applicability of various mortar profiles, e.g flush, bucket handle, recessed, etc, and
  • Be proficient in creating brickwork in various bonds such as English, Flemish, garden wall bond etc.
These are only some of the skills required to work as a bricklayer. If you need Complete Brickwork Solutions, then you may consider hiring a local brickwork specialist to work on your project.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What are bricklayers?

A bricklayer in Kent is a craftsperson who lay bricks, generally with mortar, to create finished construction works, such as walls, chimneys, parapets, spandrel panels and so on. In the United Kingdom and Australia "the land down under", bricklayers are colloquially referred to as ‘brickies’. Bricklayers in Kent also repair and maintain masonry structures and will also often be skilled in laying concrete blocks, as constructing a cavity wall, for example, will usually involve parallel brick and block wall components in order to acheive the best brickwork pattern for the requirements of each bricklaying project. This allows bricklayers to provide a complete brickwork solution for their client. The bricklayer’s profession ranks among one of the oldest – bricks have been excavated at Jericho, Israel that date from around 8,000 BC. The Egyptians and Romans were keen bricklayers, as have been the British, who have used brick almost continuously from the 15th century. The bricklay
Read more

How to do bricklayers lay bricks?

Kent Bricklayers would generally lay bricks as part of the construction of walls, foundations, columns and other structures. Very broadly, bricks can be laid as soldiers (standing upright), stretchers (laid lengthwise along the wall) or headers (laid width wise along the wall). Before starting to lay bricks, it is necessary to calculate the number of bricks required. In the UK, standard bricks are sized as 215 mm long × 102.5 mm wide × 65 mm high. With a standard mortar joint of 10 mm, a repeating unit of bricks laid in a stretcher bond will be 225 mm lengthwise and 75 mm in height. Typically, the form of the structure are plotted using string, level and tape measure. If there is not an existing slab, brick ledge or footing to build up from, a concrete foundation may need to be poured and left to cure before bricks can be laid on top of it. The bricks should be laid out at both ends of the structure, with a string line stretched between them to act as a guide when laying the first cou
Read more