Alise O'Brien
Intricate brickwork on a Tudor-style home facing in the Holly Hills neighborhood of St. Louis.
What would surprise us to learn about your job? The one thing that people don’t realize is that brick and mortar, when they’re together, should be treated as if they’re alive, as if they’re living. Everything is constantly moving. Your mortar is of different consistencies, bricks can sometimes carry moisture, or sometimes they’re made a little differently and they’re more slick and they don’t absorb water as fast. As a mason, you have to know that things shift and things change and you have to play with the brick. It’s a skilled craft but you also have to be very gentle. Even though it looks like we’re tough and rough around the edges, we’re very soft hands.
What can you tell us about brick that we may not be aware of? St. Louis is one of the oldest brick cities in the United States. Brick layers used to be called "shiny shoe" brick layers. When the city was being built in the late 1800s, early 1900s, brick layers were as prestigious as doctors or lawyers. They were called shiny shoe brick layers because they would dress up in a suit and tie to go to work. And they would have shiny shoes. Back in the day, good brick layers worked on the front of the house because it took the most skill. If you drive through South City, you’ll see a lot of gingerbread work and a lot of fine detail (See photo above). They always put the most skilled brick layers, the shiny shoe brick layers, on the front of house.
Courtesy Colonial Masonry Systems
What is the most challenging part of your job? Every day is a new challenge. There’s a lot people who would consider brick laying a dying art or trade. It is an art but there’s a lot of science involved in being a good brick layer—measuring and laying things out; it’s a mind game. There’s always something you have to be on the lookout for because, as I said earlier, things change and shift frequently. The weather impacts the mortar in the brick. In the morning it could be cooler, so your mortar won’t dry as fast. Once the afternoon comes and the sun is rising, everything is more humid, and a lot of times your mortar sets up a lot quicker.
What is brick made out of? Brick is made out of clay from dirt from the ground. The color has to do with the clay and the minerals inside the clay. Red brick, generally, has more iron. The yellow and whiter bricks have more lime. [The color] depends on where the clay is coming from, it also depends on the temperature in the kiln.
How do you advise people to care for brick. When it snows people like to put salt down. That is terrible, really bad for brick. If you have a stone or a brick patio—anything with mortar—I strongly advise not using salt. You just have to be really proactive about shoveling the snow off of the patio.
Where do you buy your brick? Richard’s Brick (in North St. Louis) is my main supplier. There’s also Missouri Brick and also Midwest Block and Brick. A lot of times people are using Midwest for newer construction. But if you’re looking to match any brickwork, I would suggest going to Richards or Missouri.
If you could build anything out of brick, what would it be? I really like building new houses or additions. They’re just easier on me because you’re starting something brand new. This is my work. I don’t have to work off anyone else’s work. I do build a lot of outdoor fireplaces, it’s one of my specialties. Since Covid, people are skipping out on vacations for a couple of years and investing that money into an outdoor living area. I do a lot of outdoor kitchens, fire pits.
Any last thoughts about brick? Build with brick, it’ll last forever.
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