Quality Control Mason Contractor's Qualifications

1) Apprenticeship
2) Continuing Education
3) Mason Contractor's Qualifications

1. Apprenticeship

The modern mason is a highly respected craftsman. His work is among the most specialized in the building trades. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans already had apprenticeship systems, the methods by which young men in those times became skilled and proficient craftsmen. The word apprenticeship comes from the French word apprendre, which means "to learn", apprenticeship is a training system in which a person learns a skilled trade on the job under an experienced craftsman and in related classroom instruction. The apprentice receives instruction in laying masonry, aligning units, bonding, anchoring, protecting work, mathematics, measurement, blueprint reading, wall systems, materials, properties of materials, estimating, scheduling details, caulking, cleaning, parging, maintenance, weatherproofing, and many other skills. The apprentice also learns the relationship between masons and other building trade occupations. This system of training new craftsmen provides the trade with a continuous supply of skilled workers and provides the individual craftsman with national acceptance and certification.

The apprentice receives instruction in laying masonry.

2. Continuing Education

The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen is an association of brick layers, stone masons, cement masons, marble masons, terrazzo workers, plasterers, tile layers, and others. This association will conduct continuing education, introducing newly developed systems, reviewing standard practices, and providing refresher courses in code requirements, standards and "good worksmanship". The reason for continued education is this: sincerity is not enough. The Mason's know-how can make or break a project. Even jobs with continuous inspection cannot guarantee such requirements as proper steel placement, good head joints, and not-over-furrowed bed joints. Such a guarantee can only be provided by using properly trained and schooled masons, having a reputation for doing satisfactory work.

Mason contractors seeking solutions to technical problems

3. Mason Contractor's Qualifications:

The approved mason contractor and his jobsite foreman should have had training as described in #1 and #2. He and his foreman should have been regularly engaged in masonry work for a specified amount of time, should have a reputation for doing satisfactory work on time, and have successfully completed comparable work. The foreman should be present at (medium to large) job sites at all times when masonry work is being done, approximately half of the job site masons should possess a diploma, certified by state government to verify successful completion of apprenticeship training.

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The NW Masonry Guide Table of Contents

Masonry Institute of Washington
Washington State Conference of Mason Contractors