Here at Millgrove Construction, we carry out all aspects of general building work such as bricklaying, steel fixing, plastering, and even roofing. After all, these are the fundamental basics of our industry and it is essential that any construction worker worth their salt is equipped with the knowledge and expertise to provide them as a service. Bricklaying may seem like a modern invention, but it has actually been around for thousands of years. Read on as we go over its rich history…
Bricks actually date back to the year 7,000 B.C which makes them the oldest known building material in the world. In fact, they were often made from mud and dried in the sun in order to make them hard enough for the bricklaying process. As one of the most advanced civilizations of their time, the Ancient Egyptians would make their bricks from clay that had been combined with straw and evidence of this can be seen at the ruins of Harappa Buhen, an ancient society. In 3,500 B.C, the discovery of fired brick meant that bricks no longer relied on the sun in order to be crafted and this allowed those in cooler climates to start bricklaying too. Interestingly, the Romans would make their bricks in the springtime and store them for two years before they were used. Plus, the size of the bricks could differ considerably because they used their own measuring system: Roman feet.
Bricklaying has a very rich history because there are a wide range of different building styles that can be denoted by the colour of the bricks or the way that they are laid. For example, 12th century Gothic style buildings are almost solely made from red clay bricks but tend to lack the sophistication of those that were made from stone. This was replaced by renaissance architecture in the 16th century. When the Industrial Revolution came about, bricks no longer had to be made by hand because we were able to mechanise the process. As a result, companies were able to create around 12,000 bricks a day by 1925 which made construction cheaper and faster to carry out. As a result, many 20th century buildings are actually made from bricks rather than stone.
It was during this time that we also perfected the art of bricklaying itself as the whole process was nowhere near as sophisticated as it is today thousands of years ago. The uniform shape of modern bricks allows us to place mortar or grout between them for rigidity and strength whereas our ancestors would rely on primitive materials like mud instead.
Bricklaying is actually an industry of its own and there are specialists that devote their entire career to delivering an exceptional service for their clients. After all, there are a wide range of different styles that have been developed over the years, such as Victorian and Gothic buildings. The Millgrove team are industry professionals with the expertise to carry out all aspects of brickwork and bricklaying as part of our civils contractor services. To find out more information, get in contact with a member of the team today!
