Stonemasons

Stonemasons work with blocks of stone, cutting and carving them, then laying and fitting them into place on construction projects. This outlines the main difference between a stonemason and a bricklayer: the former is a more specialist occupation, as shaping the stone and stonework is required. Stonemasons specialise in many different areas of work, such as monumental masons who carve gravestones and their inscriptions. But within the construction industry, there are particular types of stonemasons used. A banker mason, for instance, is workshop-based and crafts stones into shapes laid down in the building design. This could be anything from a simple chamfer on the edge of a block to more intricate carvings and mouldings. A fixer mason works on-site, using lifting tackle to manoeuvre stones into place and then fixing them with either traditional lime mortars or more modern solutions. Stonemasons may also be called upon to clad walls with stone veneer, to form both a protective and decorative facing for interior or exterior walls. In the construction industry, a stonemason may be brought in to add specialist or decorative detail to a new building. Many work in the heritage and restoration sectors, repairing old buildings and monuments.