As old as the stone brick walls of the ancient city of Ur, as long-lasting as the towering pyramids of Egypt, as intricate as the Gothic Cathedrals of France, and as beautiful as the structures of ancient Greece, the ancient art of masonry has stayed for centuries and has found many various uses and application both in the ancient world and the modern.
But let us talk about masonry, the long-enduring art, as it is in today’s modern times. How deeply has it penetrated the lives of people? And what many varied uses has it found in modern applications? In this article, you will learn how masonry is still one of the most in-demand professions of all time.
Walls
What structure would not have one? Even open design buildings will have some kind of foundation. Today, the towering walls of large building and its humble version in residential homes are mostly the work of masons. Even if not done by a real mason, you can still call the work as ‘masonry’. In any case, the mason would use blocks which can be a cut natural stone (granite, travertine, marble) or a man-made block (clay bricks, mixed marble bits).
Floors
Masons are also responsible for the making of floors in different architectural structures. After the foundation has been set and the base has been flattened and compacted, the mason would pour a workable paste called mortar over the surface and place blocks of stone tiles to cover the entire floor area. The choice of materials can be varied from black granite tiles, white marble tiles, blocks of wood, and many others. But this kind of work is not only found indoors. Masons can also apply the same technique when making roads. If you have been to Rome and seen the ancient roads made of stone blocks, those are the work of a mason.
Home Additions
Masonry is not only used in construction sites where fresh new structures are built. You can also find masonry work in home additions. For example, a family may want to add a new fireplace in their house. Since a fireplace is typically made of bricks or blocks of stone, a mason is often hired to do the job. In fact, there are brickmasons that specialize in these kinds of work.
Interior Design
Masonry is not just all about building of walls, floors, roads, and other large structures. Although it is typically a job that makes things of structural strength, it can also be purely aesthetic in nature. For instance, a mason may be hired to place stone blocks over an existing wall in order to make it look more attractive.
Stone Cutting
Masonry uses either a natural block or a man-made block. And although these can be made in factories or by typical workers, it is more preferable if they are made by a mason. As such, masons themselves sometimes make their own materials. They can work on granites, travertine, marbles, and they can also make clay bricks.