All About Stone Masonry

Companies that do any masonry repair in places like Tulsa know that stone masonry has always been around as an approach to construction ever since the ancient civilizations. Most practices from before have long been replaced by more modern and therefore more convenient approaches, and yet stone still prevails. That’s a feat worth looking into: why is stone masonry a preferred style of construction by many, even until now?

Well, here’s an overview of the types of stone masonry as well as what each of them is best suited for:

1. Rubble Masonry

This is the first between two types of stone masonry. Construction of this kind makes use of stones the way they were acquired from the quarry with little to absolutely no dressing (procedure of giving quarried stones a proper size and shape fit for construction).

Random rubble masonry is the roughest type of stone masonry. The stones used for this type are already quarried in sizes which are meant for lifting and placing by hand. They’re only slightly hammer-dressed at a bare minimum — only the visible stones on the face and sides as well as those in the bedding layer are dressed — just enough so that they can be stacked side by side without the possibility of the other stones easily toppling over. Because of its roughness and lack of surer stability, this type of stone masonry is suitable for building low walls only.

There’s also the squared rubble masonry wherein the stones are dressed on all joints using both hammer and chisel before they’re laid, and in the process almost taking the form of a square. They’re then arranged in equal layers, with their joints also uniform throughout. And because this type of masonry has more stability than random rubble, thanks to the stones being not as roughly-shaped, squared rubble masonry can already be used for the construction of buildings.

Now, the key to successful rubble work doesn’t actually lie only in the coarseness of the stones, but rather with the addition of what you’d call “bond stones” as well. These are longer stones, specially picked compared to the rest, and they are responsible for holding the walls crosswise. They are stacked horizontally in between the piles of rubble stones to form a steady and flat level from the inner part of the wall to the outside to give the entire structure a more solid foundation.

2. Ashlar Masonry

Ashlar is the second kind of stone masonry. For this, stone and brick contractors in places like Tulsa, Oklahoma make use of stones which are much more finely-dressed and well-shaped, laying them on stacks and using cement or lime mortar to hold them together. There are two general types: plain and chamfered.

Plain ashlar masonry is the type that makes use of chisels for dressing the stones. While they are all supposed to be uniform in shape and size, the stones’ general appearance is still rough with their edges sharp. Meanwhile, chamfered ashlar masonry makes use of stones which, as the name suggests, have their edges cut away into small slopes to get rid of its sharpness.

Because of the intricacy in dressing these stones, ashlar masonry is understandably much more expensive than rubble masonry. However, they are proven to be of much higher quality and durability as well because their uniformly rectangular shapes, as well as the use of concrete or lime mortar, keep them stable from inside out and from top to bottom. And because of that, this masonry can be used for much larger buildings than those possible for rubble, and even other heavy structures such as high piers and bridge abutments.

There are plenty more to know about stone masonry, but that’s all for now. If you’re ever curious, or if you’re planning to get some construction done, then feel free to contact us at Brick1 Masonry anytime! We are among the best stone and brick contractors in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known for building dreams into reality. Check out the rest of our site for more information on what we can do and how we can help you with quality stone masonry.