Your level of interaction with your masonry firm will vary.
You may find yourself deeply involved in working with your mason and needing to know details. Or you may find yourself choosing patterns and colors for use in your house and surroundings.
Either way, you’ll feel more comfortable if you have an understanding of a few of the terms your mason may use. Below, you’ll find some terms that may help you have a better conversation with your mason.
Architect’s association for improving recognition of the value of architects and improving buildings and other structures.
Also known as: American Institute of Architects
Aggregate refers to the particles that are combined with some sort of cementing substance to form grout, mortar, or concrete masonry.
Anchors are usually made of steel or brass and they are used to tie a brick, block, or stone wall to another structure. Without tying, the structure is likely to collapse in the middle.
Also known as: wall ties
Anchor bolts are used to attached a beam or similar structural support to the top of the wall. The threaded bolt is located in the masonry unit opening.
Someone training in the building trades.
Masonry that bridges an opening and supports the weight of the masonry above it along with its own weight.
Used as part of a constant joint design, it is a flexible foam rod that forms two-sided adhesion as required for any sealant joint.
basket weave bond
A pattern achieved by laying bricks at right angles to each other.
A half-size or smaller brick.
Also known as: batt
Occurs when a material or surface has a bend that is not a right angle.
A bond stone unites two walls by projecting from the facing wall into a backup wall.
A tool that is employed to finish joints.
Also known as: sled runner
A rectangular piece of clay that has been molded into shape and hardened by drying in the sun or firing in a kiln.
A mechanism used to cut bricks.
Also known as: brick bolster
Using a trowel to put mortar on a masonry unit, such as a brick.
Also known as: spreading mortar
A substance used to seal masonry units and other material, such as cracks around window or doors.
Also known as: caulking
A wall built that consists of two sides of masonry material with a space between them. The masonry elements are tied together.
Refers to a piece of brick that has been cut off.
A vertical structure used to provide support.
Refers to the vertical forces that a piece of masonry structure undergoes.
A material used in construction that is hard and strong. It is composed of a cement or mortar matrix and sand, pebbles, slag, broken stone, or gravel.
A control joint is a kind of expansion joint that is installed to allow shrinking and prevent cracking. The control joint is a vertical joint. Other expansion joints are horizontal.
corrugated wall ties
Strips of galvanized metal an inch wide used to keep walls up.
In an arch that curves, the crown is the highest point.
Refers to the vertical force that an empty building applies on a wall.
When salts are leached from masonry components, they appear on the surface as a white powder called efflorescence.
Material placed in air spaces or in mortar joints as part of masonry construction. The flashing prevents water from infiltrating. Proper designs allow the water to seep away from the structure.
glazed concrete brick
Mineral, ceramic, or porcelain coatings can be placed on the surface of masonry units to form pleasing colors and patterns.
A type of limestone. The metamorphic rock is made up of dolomite and calcite for the most part. It occurs worldwide.
Refers to adding a coat of mortar to some piece of masonry construction, especially walls. Parging may also refer to the layer of applied mortar.
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Refers to a side of a wall in a cavity wall construction. The cavity wall consists of two rows or sides of masonry construction bound together with masonry ties with a gap between the rows or sides. The rows or sides are called wythes.