Hardscapes - Masonry Tools
About Masonry Tools
Introduction
Masonry entails hard work and requires the use of proper tools. Having the right tools can actually lighten work load and improve the quality of work. Without the proper tools, even the most skilled mason cannot do much work. Above all using the right tools when working with masonry is necessary for safety practices.
There are a number of tools needed for masonry work but the following are generally the standard set:
Trowel
A trowel is the most basic tool of a mason. It is used to pick up, spread, and handle mortar. A common trowel is usually triangular, ranging in size up to about 11 inches long and from 4 to 8 inches wide. Its blade must be made of forged steel to last longer. There are different kinds and sizes of trowel. The larger trowels are used for spreading mortar while the smaller ones are used for repairing old mortar joints and scraping off excess mortar.
Quick Easy Steps in Choosing the Right Trowel
- To ensure that the blade is tempered steel, gently tap the blade of the trowel on a hard surface. It should produce a clear metallic ring and not a tinny or dead sound.
- The handle must fit well with the hand. Feel the handle and see if it fits comfortably without grasping.
- Perform balance check. Allow the trowel to hang downward at the point where the shank meets the handle. If the trowel hangs evenly in a vertical position, then it has a proper balance.
- Check the flexibility of the blade. The flexing movement helps reduce the tension and strain on the fingers and wrists. Hold the trowel by the handle and push the point against a hard surface, flexing the blade at the same time. The blade must not be too stiff and should flex when spreading or furrowing mortar joints.
Chisel
A chisel is used to cut masonry units into parts. It is usually 2 ½ to 4 ½ inches wide. A good chisel must also have a rubber guard at the top of the handle to protect the hand.
Hammer
A mason’s hammer has a square face on one end and a long chisel on the other. The square face end is used for hammering nails while the other end is for splitting block or brick.
Goggles must be used always when splitting masonry because chips can fly off the masonry being cut and may injure the face and eyes.
Jointer
As its name implies, jointers are used to finish various mortar joints. Jointers are of different shapes – rounded, flat, or pointed – to give a variety of indentations depending on the shape of the mortar joint.
Square
Square is used to measure angles and to lay out corners. Squares are usually made of metal and come in various sizes.
Level
Next to the trowel, the level is the second most important tool when building a wall. It is shaped like a ruler and equipped with vials enclosed in a glass which helps in establishing plumb and level lines. In each vial is a bubble of air suspended either in alcohol and oil.
Alcohol is said to be more accurate than oil because oil is affected by heat and cold. When a bubble is located exactly between the two center marks on the vial, then the object is either level or plumb depending on the position of the level. A plumb line is absolutely vertical. A level line is absolutely horizontal.
