The mason is one of the first professionals to intervene on the construction site of a new house. To better understand this profession, which is essential to the good foundations of a modern house, Nicolas Brette, a construction site employee at Maisons SIC for 18 years, tells us more.
Mason, a multi-faceted profession
A mason is a building professional who can intervene on different sites: construction, renovation (and also rehabilitation of historical monuments), destruction, on traditional or modern buildings, individual houses, apartment buildings, office buildings, shopping centers, industrial buildings…
The mason also has access to very varied know-how and working techniques: traditional construction, single-wall construction, specific concretes, crawl spaces, assembly of prefabricated elements, specialization in energy performance, customer advice, external thermal insulation, etc.
The work of the mason on the construction sites of new houses
As confirmed by Nicolas Brette, construction site employee at Maisons SIC For 18 years, “the mason has been the first to intervene on the construction site, after the navvy”, which prepares the ground.
Traditionally, the mason assembles walls of bricks, stones, concrete blocks or internal partitions with or without maneuvering gear. He can also lay prefabricated/agglomerated panels or window blocks with mortars, apply plaster to the walls, pour concrete into the formwork, etc.
Responsible for setting up the “skeleton” of the building, he will mount the walls, install the partitions, seal the beams, and thus create the foundations of the house, according to the indications of the surveyor.
Nicolas Brette, a mason passionate about his job
Nicolas Brette explains to us the different stages of his work as a mason in this video.
One of its main missions is to create the crawl space of the house : “it is the concrete slab on which the screed tiling will rest, which will support the walls, through which the drain pipes will pass…”
Le crawlspace is essential to ensure good insulation and ventilation, thus ensuring a home that is well protected against humidity.
The mason is in contact with all trades, because it is he who will prepare the work for the entire suite of trades that will be involved: “for those who are going to mount the walls, for the plumbers who are going to connect inside for the waste water, for some of the electricity too….”
The continuation of his work as a mason on a new SIC house construction site?
“We raise the blocks, the concrete blocks to a certain height. We mount the number of rows necessary for the architecture of the house according to the instructions of the architects and surveyors. Then we will make a waterproof level strip, to prevent humidity from rising into the walls. Then, concrete beams will be placed on either side of each wall, suspended in the void. Then, we will stick concrete on top. And there, our work is done.”
What is a crawl space?
As explained by Nicolas Brette, the crawl space “allows the house to be healthier and better insulated than if it were on a traditional plot of land. It’s also better for ventilation. And it is also a norm. From a certain number of rows of concrete blocks, you have to put in a crawl space.”
More specifically, as explained by Le Monde, a crawl space “is an empty space located under the floor of the house whose main purpose is to fight against rising damp. […] It is made by raising between one and three rows of cinder blocks or bricks on which joists are placed to install the floor of the ground floor of the house (which is therefore at least 10 centimeters above the ground). above the earth).”
Maisons SIC, a company where it is good to work on construction sites
In office for 18 years, Nicolas Brette agrees that the job of mason is very physical. Always outdoors, however, he is happy to be able “tanning in summer, taking showers when it rains and when there is clay, some people pay to have baths, we get them for free.” Athlete, needing to exert himself, Nicolas Brette finds in his job as a mason the activity he needs.
Moreover, the mason is very happy to work at Maisons SIC, in a family atmosphere where “the site managers, the leaders are all great. And with my colleagues carpenters, tilers, plasterers, we all work hand in hand, we are all united.”
According to him, apart from the family and friendly side, the teams which all work well together, Maison SIC is a company which ensures “exceptional quality compared to the competition, in terms of construction. All the reinforcements, the finishes, the insulation, everything is of high quality. I am very proud because we make beautiful houses.”
