Terms that Masonry Contractors Use

If you just hired a masonry contractor for your Bloomington home or business, you might hear him use a few terms that you may not fully understand. While our masonry contractors will carefully explain to you about everything they are doing to repair or replace your concrete and masonry, you might be wondering what some of the most common masonry terms mean. Here are a few of the ones we use the most and their most common definition.

Anchor
An anchor is a metal piece used to attach building parts to masonry or masonry materials.

Bat
A bat is another name for a piece of brick.

Bed joint
A bed joint is a horizontal layer of mortar that a masonry unit is laid on.

Buttering
Buttering refers to the method of placing mortar on a masonry unit, usually using a trowel.

Flashing
Flashing is a thin, waterproof metal material used to prevent water damage, to help with water drainage and to help prevent other water-related issues. In the masonry, the flashing is placed in mortar joints and through air spaces.

Pointing
Pointing is the method of troweling mortar into a joint after the masonry unit is laid.

Tuck pointing
Tuck pointing is when defective mortar is pulled from in between the masonry and it is then refilled with fresh mortar.

Waterproofing
Waterproofing is when water and moisture is prevented from flowing through a masonry material. 

Weep holes
Weep holes are openings that a masonry contractor will place at the level of flashing in facing material to help the moisture escape.

These are just a few examples of the terms you might hear a masonry contractor use. If you are ever unsure of what we said or what we mean, you can always feel free to ask us for further clarification. We want to be sure that everything our masonry contractor does for you makes perfect sense to you, and we want you to feel fully comfortable with the work we are doing for you as well. Our masonry contractor will be happy to explain what he is doing in laymen’s terms so you know what is going on and what is being done.

If you would like more information on how to hire a masonry contractor in Bloomington or any of the surrounding areas, call us at Wohlwend Concrete at 651-426-2610, or you can feel free to contact us and set up your Free Estimate.