Bricklayers are essential part of any construction team. They are responsible for the construction and maintenance of walls, paths, chimneys, brick fences, supporting walls and any other solid structures. A good and experienced bricklayer knows exactly how to use the bricklaying equipment (http://bit.ly/bricklaying-tools) and how to work with different kinds of materials like mortar, stones, bricks, so that various solid structures can be created. The bricklayers are professionals in their field of work and are very important for the entire construction sector. Like any other construction worker, such as electricians or construction vehicle operators, bricklayers also need to be well trained and qualified in order to perform and successfully complete different tasks.
A bricklayer who is involved in certain construction project uses a variety of bricklaying tools and bricklaying equipment, depending on the nature of the job. The job of the bricklayer involves many activities and not just laying bricks or building a wall. He starts first by measuring the entire area where the work will take place. He examines and measures the area in order to understand the architectural plans. Then he begins to lay bricks and mortar from the corners. The bricklayer may work alone or in a team of experienced bricklayers. Bricklayers who work alone, usually have at least one laborer to help them with the bricklaying equipment and materials.
An experienced bricklayer, as the work progresses, uses different bricklayer tools for different areas of the walls. For example, he will use plumb lines and spirit levels to ensure that the wall is straight. The bricklayer also may use special bricklayer tools for cutting and shaping the bricks, especially when openings need to be made for the windows and for the doors. Generally, the bricklayers adopt one of the following building methods: corner pole or corner lead building method. The corner lead method involves creating a pyramid of bricks at each corner. Once the pyramid of bricks is completed at every corner, the walls between the corners can be filled with bricks. But the corners need to be built very precisely, because the entire process is time-consuming and even the smallest mistake can be quite expensive. The corner pole is alternative building method. With this building method, the poles are fixed and plumb lines are used. The plumb lines are stretched between the poles and serve as a guidance for the bricklayer.
The bricklayer should be qualified and highly trained in order to understand the plans and to know how to best use the bricklaying equipment. He should be careful, methodical, creative and physically fit to be able to complete tough jobs. You should always look for a bricklayer who is open for communication with you and other contractors; a good team worker who is not afraid to work in a team for complete big and tough projects.