Industrial Equipment: Now and Later

Essential Supplies Every New Masonry Business Needs

28 May 2020

Laurie Washington

Masons need a lot of expertise in their field, but they also need some essential equipment and supplies. After all, even the best bricklayers aren't able to do their jobs unless they have the tools, bricks, and mortar that they need. If you're starting a masonry business, make sure you have these supplies.

Handheld Tools

There are several handheld tools that masons need, the most-used of which are trowels and hammers. Make sure you and all of your employees have an all-purpose margin trowel as well as a square- or V-notch trowel for metering mortar across flat layers. Other tools that you and your employees will need include:

• Cold chisels for slicing bricks
• Mason's hammers for breaking bricks and scoring lines
• Wire brushes for removing small chips that break off

While these handheld tools are highly specialized and must be purchased from a masonry supplier, they aren't too expensive. Because they're quite affordable, you may want to purchase a few extras in case a tool is lost or broken. Having a backup on hand will ensure you don't need to leave a job and get a replacement when a tool does need to be replaced.

Mortar and Grout

Laying bricks requires a lot of mortar and grout, especially if you're working on a large project such as a building or retaining wall. Mortar and grout are the two substances that ultimately hold bricks together, and you'll need a few different types of them.

Standard mortar is the glue that's used to hold bricks together, and you should have plenty of this on hand. You also should know what local supplier has standard mortar in stock should you need to get more mid-project. 

Veneer mortar has added polymers that enhance its adhesiveness, and it's used to secure brick and stone veneers to vertical structures. This mortar is much more expensive than standard mortar and it's not needed for every job. For these reasons, most masons wait to purchase veneer mortar until they're working on a project that calls for it.

Conventional grout fills in the seems that are left between bricks even after the mortar is in place. You'll use a sizeable amount of this, but customers may want a specific color grout. For this reason, you may want to purchase grout on an as-needed basis. Additionally, make sure you get masonry grout and not tile grout so that the grout lasts a long time.

For more information, contact companies that offer masonry supplies. 

Share  

Search