Home Maintenance | Tool Knowledge

The Must-Have Masonry Tools for Beginners

mason-694271_640

Every decent worker in masonry business, working with materials such as stone, brick and concrete,  has to start somewhere, and the absolute necessity is the right equipment. It takes more than just a few tools to handle the concrete walls, patios and sidewalks, or numerous building techniques. The must-have set includes differently shaped and sized tools for specific cases and scope. Join us to learn about the essential masonry items for DIY builders and business newbies.

(This post contains some affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

Mason’s Hammer

Stanley 54-022 FatMax AntiVibe Brick Hammer
Stanley 54-022 FatMax AntiVibe Brick Hammer

This element is employed for the purpose of nail-hammering, and also for block or brick splitting with its other side. The flat, square part is functioning like a hammer, while the other end is chisel-like and sharp. This part cuts a splitting line around the stone or brickwork.

These two sections are complementary on the field, mixing gentler and more powerful strikes. Sharper part cleans up the surface in the end and removes the extra pieces. Please adhere to all security measures and wear safety goggles as this tool can be quite dangerous when handled improperly. It’s advisable you learn how to wield the hammer before your first project.

Trowel

Trowel
WEDGE: 5 Piece Professional Masonry Trowel Set – Tempered Steel Blades

This one comes in various types and proportions. Pick the one with the forged-steel blade for durability. Wood or plastic are the common materials for the handle. The length of blade extends from 9 up to 12 inches, and its width 4 to 7 inches. Bulky trowels are utilised in mortar spreading. The smaller ones tend to excess scraping and mending of older mortar joints. London and Philadelphia are the names of the popular kinds in the business.

Masonry Power Saw

DEWALT DWC860W 4-3/8-Inch Wet/Dry Masonry Saw
DEWALT DWC860W 4-3/8-Inch Wet/Dry Masonry Saw

As its name indicates, this big girl manages larger portions of brick or block cutting. The table saw and hand held kind are the two indispensable types of masonry saws. The hand-held is equipped with a 6-7 inch tall silicon blade, and sadly cannot go through an 8 inch block completely. However, its results are superior to the ones of hammer and chisel due to their speed and clean cut, say the guys behind Perfect Contracting.

Where there’s a lot of cutting to do, the stationary table saw takes the scene with its electric motor and industrial diamond blade. The height of blades reaches 14-20 inches and it’s effective for all sorts of bricks and blocks.

Levels

Goldblatt 48in. Double View Vertical Site I-box Spirit Level
Goldblatt 48in. Double View Vertical Site I-box Spirit Level

Levels takes the second place of important wall-building tool list, right after trowel. Quality kinds are completely straight, light of weight and have 6 sections. The so-called spirit levels are more wanted for their accuracy, and their name stems from the presence of alcohol in the capsules in place of oil. Their length ranges from 36 to 48 inches, for professionals mostly, and up to 24 inches for beginners.

Jointers

MARSHALLTOWN The Premier Line 83 3/8-Inch & 1/2-Inch Brick Jointer
MARSHALLTOWN The Premier Line 83 3/8-Inch & 1/2-Inch Brick Jointer

The purpose of jointers is to finalize a mortar joint once it slightly hardens. The offer of shapes and sizes is abundant. Sled jointer is typical for blocks and makes 3/8” joint for longer horizontal ones. Head or vertical joints of 8 inches match up with smaller jointers. The indents jointers provide can be concave, V joints, among many others.

Mixing tools

If an electric mixer is not available, a few items can replace it. These are standard shovel and big hoe for sand, water and cement mixing. Pick a water bucket and you’re ready to go.

Other tools

Let’s name the remaining few smaller and larger tools that play a valuable part in a daily life of a rookie builder:

Mashing hammer is combined with chisel for blocks. It weighs between 2 and 4 pounds and has two hitting ends;

Blocking chisel is a heavy duty steel model that splits larger number of blocks at once. Its width goes up to 8”, but the varieties are numerous;

Mason’s line excels in the making of straight walls. It’s made of some polyester fabric, like nylon, and it’s positioned at the corners of wall-to-be;

Tape measure is something you can’t go without. If you have the money, invest in laser meter and calculate the lengths easier and faster;

Steel squares are absolute necessity for rectangular walls, making sure the angle is 90° sharp. The 24-inch one is for initial markings and the ones of 12 inches are used for doors and windows check-up;

Brushes remove mortar leftovers or spots from the wall surface. The soft bristle is used for finer works.

These are the essential tools for every new member of the trade to help him or her start in a proper manner.

 

Article written by Lillian Connors. If one thing is true about Lillian Connors, her mind is utterly curious. That’s why she can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of home improvement projects and spread the word about them. As the Co-Editor at SmoothDecorator, she cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit and what we eat, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *