Brickwork and Plastering in Midrand and Gauteng

Brickwork is the most visible measure of a builder's care. Courses that wander, mortar joints that vary and corners that are out of plumb are visible from the street and affect every finish that follows, from plaster to tiling to cabinets.

TMSMT Construction provides bricklaying, blockwork and plastering for new houses, extensions, commercial buildings and boundary structures in Midrand and across Gauteng. We build to SANS 10400 and to the engineer's drawings where structural design applies.

Masonry we build

Choice of unit depends on structure, budget, insulation and appearance:

• Clay stock bricks for plastered walls in houses and flats
• Face bricks for exposed walls, with consistent bond and neat jointing
• Concrete blocks for retaining walls, industrial buildings and boundary walls
• Cavity walls with ties and weep holes for improved weather resistance
• Brick arches, quoins, piers, columns and decorative detailing
• Infill walls to concrete or steel frames

Setting out and quality

Good walls start with accurate setting out from the foundation. Corners are built first, courses are gauged, and each wall is checked for plumb, line and level as it rises. Mortar mixes follow the specification, and joints are filled to resist rain penetration.

Wall ties, damp-proof courses, reinforcement in masonry and control joints are installed where the design needs them. Missing movement joints are a common cause of cracks, particularly on clay soils where footings shift slightly.

Lintels, beams and openings

Openings for doors and windows need lintels sized for the span and load. Large openings or removed walls need engineer-designed beams with proper bearing and temporary props. We never cut into a wall that might be load-bearing without checking its role.

See renovations and remodelling and home extensions for the structural changes where this matters most.

Plastering and screeding

Plaster protects brickwork, evens the surface and prepares it for paint. We apply scratch and finishing coats where required, use beads to make straight corners, and cure plaster so that it does not dry too quickly in Highveld sun. Internal walls can receive skim coats, while external plaster must be mixed and applied for weather exposure.

Floors receive sand-cement screeds with falls to drains where needed, ready for tiling and flooring. Waterproofing or damp-proof layers go in before the screed in wet or below-ground areas.

Walls that last

Cracks in walls are caused by foundation movement, shrinkage, thermal expansion or poor construction. Diagonal cracks near openings, or stepped cracks following the joints, may indicate settlement. We assess and, if needed, involve an engineer before patching.

Properly rendered walls also need correct paint and drainage at their base. Our painting services and waterproofing finish the system.

Boundary and retaining walls

Walls on the boundary, including security walls and retaining walls, have their own rules. Height limits, neighbour consent and engineer design for retaining structures apply. See our security walls page for details.

For new homes, brickwork follows concrete and foundations and fits into our full residential construction service.

Weather and curing

Fresh brickwork and plaster are affected by heat, wind and rain. Highveld sun dries mortar and plaster too fast and weakens it, while a heavy storm can wash out joints or stain face brick. We wet bricks where required, shade and dampen finished work, and cover walls ahead of rain. These habits cost little and prevent cracking, weak joints and efflorescence on finished walls.

Materials on site are stored off the ground and covered, sand is graded to suit mortar and plaster, and bricks are checked on delivery for cracks and size variation. Good materials handling shows up in how straight and tight the finished wall looks.