Specialist brickwork explained: what a Master Bricklayer brings to your build

Brickwork is the part of your extension you'll look at every day for the next 30 years. It deserves proper craft.

What is a Master Bricklayer?

The Guild of Bricklayers is the professional body for bricklayers in the UK. Its Master designation, which I've held since 2012, is awarded on the basis of demonstrated craft, experience and continuing standards. It's not a paid badge; it's a peer-reviewed standard.

What it changes in practice

• Bond and coursing are laid out from the start so features (openings, corners, chimneys) fall on whole bricks, not awkward cuts.
• Perp joints (the vertical ones) line up cleanly, you'd be amazed how many builds get this wrong.
• Mortar mix is matched to the brick, the setting and the era of the building.
• Feature brickwork, arches, corbels, soldier courses, decorative bonds, is actually built by someone who knows how.

Where it matters most

• Period property, where getting the bond and mortar wrong is instantly visible.
• Feature interior walls, an interior brick wall is a permanent design statement and you want it laid by someone who cares.
• Repointing, where getting the mortar composition right is the difference between preservation and damage.

If you're planning a project where brickwork will be the thing people notice, get in touch.