Masonry and plastering trades

Refractory masons protect structures from high heat by installing special refractory bricks, castables, blankets, plastics, or ceramic coatings to furnaces and kilns. They must be skilled at laying refractory bricks, installing castables, and removing old refractory masonry. This is a specialty trade for those who are certified as brick and stone masons.

Precast concrete finishers complete construction projects by using hand or power tools to level and refine the surfaces of poured concrete floors, sidewalks, curbs, and other structures. They may use special techniques to produce coloured surfaces or decorative finishes. Finishers may install metal fixtures into concrete slabs or repair and replace damaged concrete structures.

Brick and stone masons construct and repair structures. They may work on walls, arches, paving, floors, fireplaces, chimneys, and smokestacks. Masons can specialize in high-temperature materials, such as fire brick, which are used for industrial furnaces, retorts, and boilers.

Precast concrete erectors guide hoisting engineers and crane operators in aligning concrete panels and slabs into place when constructing a new building. They are skilled at reading architectural drawings and diagrams, loading and unloading concrete pieces, aligning and bolting panels together, and applying grout between the cracks in the concrete to finish the walls. They [...]

Restoration masons are stone specialists. They prepare mortars, cut out and fill joints, reset copings, and clean stone surfaces. They can drill, grout, and pin fractured stones. They work with brick, stone, and terra cotta blocks in ashlar, rubble, and brickwork. Specialized restoration masons may restore damaged chimneys and foundations in heritage buildings or repair [...]

Cement (concrete) finishers use concrete to make floors, walls, ceilings, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and other concrete constructions. They may use trowels, floats, and other hand tools, or use machinery such as generators, air compressors, and power vibrators. Cement finishers also sack, chip, rub, grind, and cure finished concrete work. Some restore and repair existing concrete [...]

Terrazzo, tile, and marble setters cover floors and other surfaces with ceramic tiles, marble, mosaic tile, or other materials. They must be skilled at measuring and marking the space, mixing adhesives or mortars, removing and replacing damaged tiles, and laying a variety of tiles for a decorative final touch in a swimming pool, kitchen, or [...]

Drywall finisher and plasterers install exterior metal framing and sheeting, mouldings, furring, and lathing products, and thermal, fire, sound, and vapour barrier insulation and sealants. They also install moulded and cast forms, acoustical wall and ceiling panels, and interior window and door frames.

Drywall acoustic and lathing applicators help shape the inside of a building. The materials they use include exterior metal framing and sheeting, moulding, furring, and lathing products, wall and ceiling panels, and interior window or door frames. They also work with thermal, fire, sound, and vapour insulation and sealants.