Mason (bricklayer)
An 8-step path to becoming a mason: scaffold and height safety, cement, sand and brick materials, mixing mortar to spec, laying straight, plumb and level walls, plastering, pouring concrete and screeding floors, reading drawings, and a real hands-on job. You can then work for townhouse builders or take small repair jobs. Suits fit, careful people who can handle the sun.
Start here
Step 1: Scaffold, height safety & PPE
One short lesson per step, 10–15 minutes on a phone. No sign-up needed.
Hands-on roadmap
Roadmap
- Step 1Lesson
Scaffold, height safety & PPE
Erect braced scaffolds with platforms and guardrails; harnesses on upper floors and catch nets; helmets, boots and gloves against cement burns; mixer and temporary site power safety.
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 2Lesson
Materials: cement, sand, aggregate, bricks
PCB30 and PCB40 cement, masonry and plaster sand, 1x2 aggregate; solid, hollow, unfired and lightweight concrete blocks; keep cement dry and spot salty or muddy sand.
Requires: Scaffold, height safety & PPE
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 3Skill
Mixing mortar and concrete & reading drawings
Batch M75–M100 mortar and grade 250 concrete by bucket; correct water ratio; read plans, sections and levels; transfer levels with a water level or laser.
Requires: Materials: cement, sand, aggregate, bricks
- Step 4Skill
Building straight, plumb, level walls
String lines, corner profiles, stretcher bond with staggered joints; even 10–12 mm mortar joints; tie walls to columns and fit lintels; common faults: leaning walls and aligned joints that crack.
Requires: Mixing mortar and concrete & reading drawings
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 5Skill
Plastering, screeding & pouring concrete
Set screeds, two-coat plaster, float flat and finish corners; anti-crack mesh over conduit chases; screed floors to level, pour, vibrate and cure small slabs with daily watering.
Requires: Building straight, plumb, level walls
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 6Skill
Home repairs: chasing, patching, extensions
Chase walls for pipes and cables, patch invisibly, build planters, steps and small water tanks; coordinate with waterproofers and tilers and protect furniture in occupied homes.
Requires: Plastering, screeding & pouring concrete
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 7Project
Build and plaster a real wall and entrance steps
With a townhouse crew: lay and plaster a 10 m2 wall and pour entrance steps; check with a 2 m straightedge and spirit level, photograph for sign-off and record materials used.
Requires: Home repairs: chasing, patching, extensions
No English content for this step yet.
- Step 8Assessment
Skills test, quantity take-off & finding work
Timed practical: build a wall corner, plus a safety quiz; calculate bricks, cement and sand, quote labour per m2; optionally sit an elementary masonry trade certificate.
Requires: Build and plaster a real wall and entrance steps
No English content for this step yet.
