Articles by Kris Williams
Practical articles from KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, the Welshpool-based bricklaying contractor, written by NVQ Level 3 bricklayer Kris Williams. Topics include appointing a brickwork subcontractor, Welsh and English Building Regulations, cold-weather bricklaying, matching facing bricks, retaining walls and what an NVQ Level 3 covers.
Where an article mentions regulations or standards, we name the source so you can check the current version yourself.
An NVQ Level 3 in Trowel Occupations is a work-based, Ofqual-regulated bricklaying qualification. It covers setting out, brick and block structures, cladding, repairs that match existing work, and arches and curved walls. Kris Williams of KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, Welshpool, Powys, explains each unit and how to check it.
Many masonry retaining walls need an engineer's design. On NHBC-covered new homes that means walls over 600mm high, and walls near a street, supporting a building or near a neighbour bring in other rules. KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, a bricklaying contractor in Welshpool, Powys, builds retaining walls to the engineer's design.
Facing brickwork stays consistent across a phased housing development when bricks are blended from several packs, deliveries are controlled by batch, a sample panel sets the standard, and mortar and joints stay the same. KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, a bricklaying contractor in Welshpool, Powys, explains how it works on site.
Don't lay bricks or blocks when the air temperature is below 2°C and falling, don't use frozen materials, and protect new work from frost until the mortar has set, as the NHBC Standards advise. KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, a bricklaying contractor in Welshpool, Powys, explains how to plan winter programmes.
Brickwork in Powys follows the Building Regulations for Wales, not England. The main differences are separate Approved Documents, a Welsh Part L for energy and sprinklers in new homes. KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, based in Welshpool, Powys, explains what changes on site and what to check before building across the border.
Before appointing a brickwork subcontractor, check competence, CIS and insurance paperwork, job-specific safety documents, honest capacity against your programme, finished workmanship and a like-for-like price. Kris Williams of KW Brickwork Contractors Ltd, a bricklaying contractor in Welshpool, Powys, sets out the checklist main contractors use across Mid Wales, Shropshire and the West Midlands.
Send the drawings, plot numbers or a few site photos on WhatsApp, or give Kris a call. Based in Welshpool, covering Mid Wales, Shropshire and the West Midlands.