Masons

[Les]

How many of you out here do masonry for a living? With that said, how many back transplants have you had? This is really hard on the body. I have done it in the past (see shop attachment), but this island is killing me. Most of the brick on the shop I was upright; as evolution allowed me to be, but this job requires me to be constantly bent - OUCH! I don't mind the hard work, but my hat is off to you if you do it day in and day out. This is a young mans sport.

[RTflorida]

Re: Masons

Les,
not a professional, but I play one for family and friends. I feel your pain (literally). Just completed my oven; no doubt this project as well as the many, many block, stone, tile, etc. projects I have done for the above mentioned has caused my current back problems (3 herniated discs -L3,L4,L5) as well as bone spurs).
Honestly, I have no idea how anyone could make a career of being a mason. Being just a 'part timer' has just about put me down for the count.

By the way....beautiful work

RT

[CanuckJim]

Re: Masons

Les,

I do it for a living, but part time these days. Back pain is part of the equation, particularly here, where the season starts in late March after a three month layoff. Part of the "conditioning" is to harden the deep muscles around your spine, at the base of your back. This takes about a month. Having said that, though, the pain never really goes away. My latest was a pinched nerve in that same area that caused shooting pains in my right leg. Gone now, whew.

Seems that by the time you have the knowledge and experience the body kacks. Life if like that, I guess.

Jim

[Les]

Re: Masons

Thanks RT and Jim. It?s comforting to know I?m not the only one feeling it. And now I am considering myself lucky ? I have no herniated discs or shooting pain. In fact, the pain I feel can usually be medicated with a few beers.

Les?

[Archena]

Re: Masons

Suddenly, hiring someone is sounding like a better idea....

[maver]

Re: Masons

I'm in the process of selling my house. I've determined it is possible to remove the oven from the stand of the house we are selling but will wait to see if the buyers of our house will want to make an offer for the oven (we are advertising that the pizza oven is negotiable in the sale of the house but is not part of what they are buying with the house price). I'm anticipating pricing the oven at about $5000 - 6000 to account for the cost of (my) labor to build it as well as the $2500 or so in material costs. If the buyers also buy the oven I anticipate contracting out a large part of the build of my second oven (I have different time issues this year than last, plus I really just don't want to wait so much for an oven this time). Do you all think those labor cost estimates are in the ballpark? I don't want to gouge the buyer on the cost of an oven but don't want to just leave it.

[redbricknick]

Re: Masons

I'd say its a bargain at that price..

[Archena]

Re: Masons

Um serious question - is there like a minimum amount you have to do at a single time? For instance when you start the first course do you have to finish it all right then?

I'm not a man - or a weightlifter. My game plan is to do things a little along (mixing mortar/concrete in small batches, obviously), maybe only laying a few blocks each day. Am I being stupid?

[Les]

Re: Masons

[QUOTE=Am I being stupid?[/QUOTE]

Archena,

Not at all - If you look at the first thumbnail, that's where I called it a day. I typically mix around 1/2 bag at a time, and with the sun beating down, that's about all I can do till I am working with a solid. I do admit - I am slow at laying this stuff. Just be sure to clean the run where you left off.

Good luck and may you have a strong back!

[maver]

Re: Masons

Archena,

in my opinion the work of laying brick has more to do with mixing mortar than the laying of blocks. Mortaring and laying brick is detail work and is fairly straightforward. I usually used an empty mortar container as a stop point.

[Archena]

Re: Masons

Thanks, guys!

[RTflorida]

Re: Masons

Maver,
Agreed....I'll go one step further; mixing all the concrete for the slabs. Foolishly, I've mixed everything by hand (55+ bags of concrete, 7 bags of mortar and still counting). Shoot, just hauling materials from my drive to my back yard wore me out each day. Seems to me just a couple of years ago nothing slowed me down Living very close to my neighbors didn't allow any kind of forklift delivery, not to mention my wife would have killed me for trashing the lawn.
Next project I'm taking the easy route - sitting next to the pool, eating pizza, drinking a cold one - while I supervise the guys I just hired.

[james]

Re: Masons

What about buying (or renting) an electric mixer for mixing up batches of mortar? I agree with the idea that carrying and mixing the mortar and concrete is most pain-inducing part of the project.

I've used a heavy duty mixer for the mortar and it helps.

And have everything delivered! Don't pick anything up.

James

[Archena]

Re: Masons

Would that be practical for small batches, though? Not sure what a mixer would cost or if it would be worthwhile for the small (1/2 bag or less) batches I'd have in mind. Renting one for the slab pour makes sense - although I'd likely contract that out. You only get once to do it right and I'm not sure I'd be up to that task.

How would you store that stuff if you have a pallet full of bags delivered? I'm thinking rain on bags of concrete is a bad thing - and I won't have a basement or the like at my new place.


~sigh~ I'll have retired by the time I get the stand up....

[RTflorida]

Re: Masons

Contracting the slabs or renting/buying a mixer are the only way to go. I learned my lesson.
As for the materials, with the limited access down the side of my house, delivery was dropped in my drive and I then had to move into my garage (weather concerns). Used 1/2 of my garage as a staging area for materials, then, as needed, loaded my wheel barrow and hauled materials to the back. This seemed as tiring as the mixing (at least all those bags of concrete).

If at all possible have you materials dropped next to the site and tarp it really well. Your body will appreciate it.

I have not found a good method for mixing small batches of mortar, other than by hand. I'm pretty picky about getting the consistancy just right, to me it is just as much about 'feel' as how it looks. I've tried the paddle mixers on a heavy duty drill - didn't care for it (doesn't get it off the sides or bottom very well).

Maybe CJ (CanuckJim) can give his thoughts when his computer is up an running again. He is the resident expert on masonry.

RT