All posts in "Best Practices"
Expand Your Masonry Skillset
A mason lends advice on selecting the right job, bidding and obtaining help. Jason Peek, Peek Masonry It was the fall of 2009, right before the bottom officially fell out of the economy. In a time when construction projects on both sides of the line – residential and commercial – were taking a hit, Jason [...]Rebuilding the Masonry Labor Force
By Jim Cook Good wages. Excellent job prospects. Opportunities to earn while you’re in training. Masonry jobs offer a quick ticket to the middle class for workers and the opportunity to see real, tangible results from laboring each day. Employers are struggling to find bricklayers, and a growing demand for new construction is putting even [...]Mentoring: My Path to Masonry
I was never supposed to be a mason. Through my high school years, I wanted to become an architect. I excelled in drafting classes and was accepted to the University of Florida through an architectural scholarship. Halfway through my senior year in high school, I found myself with family problems at home and needed an [...]Industry Expert Addresses New Silica Regulations
New OSHA standards on silica were enforced Sept. 23. Are you ready to deal with these new silica regulations? As mason contractors begin navigating the waters of new OSHA regulations on silica dust, many questions arise. Concrete industry expert Joe Nasvik lends some digestible answers to many of contractors’ most common questions. With more than [...]Read Between the Lines
A mason lends advice on selecting the right job, bidding and obtaining help. By Michael J. Pallerino Read between the lines." Sounds like pretty simple advice, right? Ask Brian Estill, and he'll tell you it's the kind of recommendation every mason should take to heart. On a recent job, Estill began hearing those four little [...]Gaining Control of Masonry Wall Systems
Expand your bid package by looking for opportunities beyond brick and mortar By Jeremy Douglas Are you missing out on providing a critical component of masonry wall systems? The specific application of a building’s air barrier system seems often to remain a mystery to many mason contractors. Understanding wall systems’ purposes and their critical interfaces to [...]Do you Have a Succession Plan for your Construction Company?
By Damian Lang You’ve worked hard your entire life on your construction company, and maybe retirement is on the horizon. It's time to make a succession plan for your construction company to make that transition. I can tell you this: Building a successful company isn’t enough. You have to have a continuation or a succession plan for [...]Crank-Up Scaffolding Safety
Crank-up scaffolding safety reaches new levels, when a few simple rules are applied. By Jim Cook Crank-up scaffolding gives masons a game-changing opportunity to work more efficiently, but you should always practice safety to avoid accidents and OSHA fines. Crank-up scaffolding may be the perfect scaffold solution for masons. Because crank-up scaffolding doesn’t require masons [...]Concrete Masonry and Hurricanes: Keeping You Safer
When it comes to concrete masonry and hurricanes, ask yourself what type of structure do you want surrounding you and your loved ones in the midst of a hurricane or tropical storm? In a report from the Masonry Association of Florida (FloridaMasonry.com), strong arguments were made against wood-frame construction and for the strong security of concrete masonry [...]
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