Masonry Skills

Richard T. Kreh, Sr., is a retired master mason, a former building trades and masonry instructor with Linganore High School (Frederick, Maryland), and a well-known expert in the masonry field. He has written for Taunton Press and Masonry Construction Magazine, in addition to authoring several respected textbooks, including SAFETY FOR MASONS. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.

Introduction.
Part I: SAFETY PRACTICES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND BASIC TOOL SKILLS.
1. Safety on the Job.
2. Basic Tools of the Masonry Trade.
3. Learning to Use the Basic Tools.
4. Related Masonry Equipment.
Part II: DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE OF BRICK AND CONCRETE MASONRY UNITS.
5. Development of Clay and Shale Brick.
6. Manufacture of Brick.
7. Development of Concrete Block.
8. Manufacture of Concrete Block Masonry Units.
Part III: LAYING BRICK TO A LINE AND BUILDING A BRICK CORNER.
9. Mixing Mortar.
10. Laying Brick to the Line.
11. Building the Brick Corner.
Part IV: MORTAR AND ESSENTIALS OF BONDING.
12. Development of Mortar.
13. Types of Mortar and Their Characteristics.
14. Introduction to Bonding.
15. Traditional Structural and Pattern Bonds.
Part V: LAYING CONCRETE BLOCK.
16. Laying Concrete Block to the Line.
17. Building the Block Corner.
18. Bonding Concrete Block and Rules for Bonding.
Part VI: ESTIMATING BRICK AND CONCRETE BLOCK BY RULE OF THUMB MATH AND CUTTING WITH THE MAS0NRY SAW.
19. Estimating Brick Masonry by Rule of Thumb.
20. Estimating Concrete Block Masonry by Rule of Thumb.
21. Cutting with the Masonry Saw.
Part VII: MASONRY PRACTICES AND DETAILS OF CONSTRUCTION.
22. Building a Composite Wall of Brick and Concrete Block.
23. Cavity and Reinforced Masonry Walls.
24. Masonry Supports, Chases, and Bearings.
25. Movement Joints and Intersecting Walls.
26. Installing Anchor Bolts, Brick Corbelling, and Wall Copings.
27. Glass Block Masonry.
Part VIII: SCAFFOLDING AND CLEANING MASONRY WORK.
28. Types of Scaffolding.
29. Safety Rules for Erecting and Using Scaffolding.
30. Cleaning Brick and Concrete Block.
31. Removing Various Stains from Masonry Walls.
Part IX: CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES.
32. One Flue Chimney.
33. History, Theory, and Function of a Fireplace and Chimney.
34. Design and Construction of Fireplaces and Chimneys.
35. Multiple-Opening and Heat Circulating Fireplaces.
Part X: ARCHES.
36. Development of Arches.
37. Construction of Semi-Circular and Segmental Arches.
38. Construction of a Jack Arch.
Part XI: CONCRETE.
39. Concrete Forms and Placing Footings.
40. Essentials of Concrete Work.
Part XII: UNDERSTANDING AND READING CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
41. Line and Symbol Identification.
42. The Working Drawings.
43. Dimensions and Scales.
Part XIII: MASONRY AS A CAREER AND SELECTED MASONRY PROJECTS.
44. Masonry as a Career.
45. Selected Masonry Projects.
Appendix: Additional Resources.
Glossary (English and Spanish).