Painter's Corner: MCAA Magazine

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Subject: Is Masonry Ever Perfect?

Jerry Painter  

The definition of perfect is to be complete, flawless, faultless or exact. Soooo, is masonry ever perfect? The short answer is yes. Whenever you can put together the perfect design, the perfect material and perfect installation you will then have perfect masonry. The only problem is that perfection is an imperfect expectation. Most construction neophytes may believe that since the production of construction drawings has moved into the electronic arena all is well. What I was told in my first computer class still rings true today. Garbage in garbage out or GIGO. Somehow the computer believes that all materials and all combinations of material can match those crisp fine lines, angles and interconnections printed by a printer. You should never stop checking and verifying details and dimensions. Even though some people believe that masonry materials that are exact in size, shape, color and dimensions can be obtained, everyone else knows that is no correct. All material has some variations allowed by their standards. An FBX brick, dimensioned stone, architectural precast or SGFT. Has allowable variations. A CMU made on a new or rebuilt machine has allowable variations. Whether designers believe it or not natural stone will have slight variations in color, shade or grain. Whenever they would point out what they didn’t like I would tell them to call God and take it up with him. Because of all of the allowable variations in the material it creates variations in the installation even with the best of masons. This brings us to the most valuable if not variable part of the combination. As I have said many time and will continue to say until my last breath. Laying masonry units into a three dimensional object or building is an art form and as such relies on the mason’s ability to be attentive to a multitude of details. This ability takes a serious long term effort. In spite of what some people say you learn it all in a 4 year apprentice program. It is a lifetime commitment to learning repetition, consistency and instantaneous decision making. The mason should be able to make sure the mortar is correct, the masonry units are stocked correctly, the accessories are available and the moisture of the masonry units is within the range for proper installation. I could go on and on and we haven’t even start the installation process. Many times we have asked our employees if they need to go back home and get their brain. While you can get by with just the laying of the units in a brain dead state there is so much more to quality work. A mason cannot spend seconds on each decision they must make as they do their job. Let me give you just a partial sample of what must go thru a mason’s mind as they lay brick. It will start with is the mortar fluid and consistent? Which brick do I pick? This is not important if the brick are a single color with no range. If the brick have a range or have a variation of colors the instantaneous selection is critical to the finish look. They have to consider the buttering (placing of the head joint) of the brick, the size of the head joint, the plumbness of the head joints, height of the brick to the line and the closeness to the line. This and much more should be going thru their minds as second nature. Just like riding a bike. If you spend too much time thinking about it you will fall. Now let me ask the question again. Is there such a thing as perfect masonry? Not if you use the dictionary definition. But if the masonry functions as designed, is durable for the ages and is pleasant to the eye then it is QUALITYmasonry and that is as close as you can get. Be Safe and remember to “Raise the line and come on around the corner”.
The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
March 2026

You’ve been around long enough to know this already: stone doesn’t fail on the face; it fails behind the wall. You can lay the prettiest veneer in the county, but if the prep is junk, that wall’s gonna start telling on you after a couple of winters. Manu

Rob McKay
Technical Talks
Read More
From the Mound to the Mortar: Jon Rauch’s Tall Order in the Masonry Industry
March 2026

In the record books of Major League Baseball, Jon Rauch is a literal giant. At 6 feet, 11 inches, he remains the tallest player to ever step onto a Big League mound. But today, the Olympic Gold Medalist and 11-season MLB veteran isn’t looking for a strike

Robert Melgaard
Industry News
Read More
Case Study: The Scoop
March 2026

Leading UK architecture firm, Corstorphine & Wright, has announced the completion of ‘The Scoop’, a unique concave office building in Southwark, London. The innovative design reuses an existing building and integrates a conical cut-out façade in white gla

Case Study
Read More
Executing Color-Driven Designs Without Compromising Craftsmanship
March 2026

On today’s jobsites, masonry contractors are being asked to do more than install manufactured stone veneer (MSV). They’re being asked to interpret design trends and execute them with precision. Homeowners arrive with curated Pinterest boards. Designers r

Jeff Tew
Technical Talks
Read More