Free Course Image How to be a mason

Free online courseHow to be a mason

Duration of the online course: 2 hours and 39 minutes

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Build job-ready masonry skills fast with this free online course—learn tools, mortar, safety, brick bonds and wall building with practical exercises.

In this free course, learn about

  • What masonry is, who a mason is, and typical roles on a masonry team
  • Key building components and the foundation’s function in structural support
  • Masonry materials: cement, sand, water, bricks, coarse aggregates, and quality indicators
  • Standard brick dimensions and common brick cuts (e.g., 3/4 bat) and their uses
  • Accurate measuring and leveling: tape use, spirit/tube levels, plumb bob, string lines
  • Squaring corners and setting out work using the 3:4:5 rule and mason square
  • Proper use of core masonry tools: trowel, jointer, floats, straightedge, chisel, shovel
  • Material handling tools and methods: drum/bucket, mortar pan/hoe, sand screen, measuring box
  • Safe site practices and PPE use, including the purpose of a safety helmet
  • Equipment care and maintenance, including correct cleaning methods (e.g., chisel cleaning)
  • Mortar basics: batching/measuring, mixing/preparing mortar, and its role in masonry
  • Rendering walls: process overview and the purpose/benefits of rendering
  • Building walls with major bonds: stretcher, English, Flemish; wall thickness concepts
  • Constructing uneven stone walls and using cement slurry for bonding and stability

Course Description

Step into construction with a solid foundation in masonry skills you can use on real job sites. This free online course guides you from the first principles of masonry to the practical know-how behind strong, straight, durable walls. You will understand what masonry work involves, what a mason and assistant mason do, and how to read the basics of site information and drawings so you can follow instructions accurately and work with confidence.

You will also learn how buildings come together, from the purpose of foundations to the role each material plays in performance and durability. The course explains cement, sand, water, bricks, and aggregates in a practical way, helping you recognize quality and make better choices when preparing mixes. With this knowledge, you will be able to understand why mortar behaves the way it does and what to pay attention to when aiming for strength, consistency, and a clean finish.

A major part of professional masonry is using tools correctly. Throughout the lessons you will gain hands-on understanding of essential measuring, leveling, and layout techniques that help prevent costly errors. You will practice how to work with common tools used on site, how to keep lines true and corners square, and how to check levels and verticals so your work stays accurate from the first course to the last.

Safety is treated as a core skill, not an afterthought. You will learn safer habits for construction environments, including personal protective equipment and practical ways to handle, stack, and maintain materials and equipment. These routines support both quality results and long-term employability by reducing avoidable risks and damage.

As you progress, you will connect technique to finished results by working through the building logic behind different wall types and bonding patterns. You will learn the purpose of rendering, how alignment is established, why bonding matters, and how consistent layout supports strength and appearance. By the end, you will have a clear, structured understanding of masonry workflows—from preparation and measurement to building and finishing—so you can take your next step toward construction work, apprenticeships, or improving your skills for projects on site.

Course content

  • Video class: Introduction to Masonry | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is masonry and who is a mason?
  • Video class: Introduction to the Roles of a Mason | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What is one essential tool an assistant Mason must have when reading architectural drawings?
  • Video class: Components of a Building | Masonry 03m
  • Exercise: _What is the function of a foundation in a building?
  • Video class: Learn about the different components and metrials for masonry: Cement 03m
  • Exercise: What is a sign of good quality cement?
  • Video class: Learn about the different components and metrials for masonry: Sand 02m
  • Exercise: _What is the preferred type of sand for making concrete?
  • Video class: Learn about the different components and metrials for masonry: Water 02m
  • Exercise: What is the primary role of water in masonry construction?
  • Video class: Learn about the different components and metrials for masonry: Bricks 03m
  • Exercise: _What is the standard dimension of a brick?
  • Video class: Coarse Aggregates | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What are small coarse aggregates?
  • Video class: How to Use a Spirit Level | Masonry 02m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of a spirit level and how can you ensure that it is properly centered in the tube?
  • Video class: How to Use a Measuring Tape | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What is the correct way to measure a surface using a measuring tape?
  • Video class: How to Use a Drum and a Bucket | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of a drum and a bucket on a construction site?
  • Video class: How to Use a Brick Jointer | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What is the primary purpose of a brick jointer?
  • Video class: How to Use a Sand Screen | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of a sand screen?
  • Video class: How to Use a Measuring Box | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: How is a measuring box used to measure materials for mortar and concrete?
  • Video class: How to Use a Metal Brush | Masonry 00m
  • Exercise: _What is a metal brush used for in masonry work?
  • Video class: How to Use a Mortar Pan | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What is an essential step to correctly use a mortar pan?
  • Video class: How to Use a Mortar Hoe | Masonry 02m
  • Exercise: _What is a mortar hoe used for?
  • Video class: How to Use a Metal Float | Masonry 00m
  • Exercise: What is the appropriate technique for using a metal float on mortar surfaces?
  • Video class: How to Use a Chisel | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the correct way to hold a chisel while using it?
  • Video class: How to Use a Shovel | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: What is the primary use of a shovel as described in the video?
  • Video class: How to Use a Trowel | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _How should you hold a trowel when using it to mix mortar in a pan?
  • Video class: How to Use a Straightedge | Masonry 03m
  • Video class: How to Use a Wooden Float | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of using a wooden float on freshly laid mortar and concrete?
  • Video class: How to Use a Tube Level | Masonry 05m
  • Video class: How to Use a Mason Square | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the Mason square used for in masonry work?
  • Video class: How to Use a Plumb Bob | Masonry 01m
  • Video class: How to Use a String | Masonry 01m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of using a string in masonry?
  • Video class: Safety on a Construction Sites | Masonry 01m
  • Video class: Personal Protective Equipment | Masonry 02m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of a safety helmet in masonry work?
  • Video class: Stacking and Handling of Material | Masonry 02m
  • Video class: Maintenance of Equipment | Masonry 02m
  • Exercise: _What is the correct way to clean the chisel?
  • Video class: Mortar | Masonry 02m
  • Video class: How to Render a Wall | Masonry 06m
  • Exercise: _What is the purpose of rendering a wall?
  • Video class: How to Build a Concrete Block Wall Using a Stretcher Bond | Masonry 08m
  • Video class: How to Build an Uneven Stone Wall | Masonry 11m
  • Exercise: _What is cement slurry and why is it used while building an uneven stone wall?
  • Video class: How to Build a Two Brick Wall Using an English Bond | Masonry 13m
  • Video class: How to Build a One and a Half Brick Wall Using an English Bond | Masonry 15m
  • Exercise: _What tools are needed to build a one and a half brick wall using the English bond?
  • Video class: How to Build a Full Brick Wall Using a Flemish Bond | Masonry 09m
  • Video class: How to Build a Half Brick Wall Using a Stretcher Bond | Masonry 07m
  • Video class: Brick Bonds | Masonry 04m
  • Video class: Corners: the 3:4:5 Rule | Masonry 03m
  • Exercise: _What is the three four five principle used for in masonry?
  • Video class: Thickness of Walls | Masonry 02m
  • Video class: How to Cut Bricks | Masonry 03m
  • Exercise: _What is a 3/4 bat used for in brick laying?
  • Video class: How to Prepare Mortar | Masonry 02m
  • Video class: How to Make a Profile | Masonry 06m
  • Exercise: _What tools and materials are needed to set up profiles for bricklaying?

This free course includes:

2 hours and 39 minutes of online video course

Digital certificate of course completion (Free)

Exercises to train your knowledge

100% free, from content to certificate

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