Brickies can get a much needed lift from Bill Marshall and his Block Lifter.

This new block lifter is the invention of Bill Marshall. It allows you to lift a high density 100mm concrete block into place without having to grip the edges. Bill has obviously given the block a great deal of thought. The block sits in perfect balance on the lifter and can be guided with both hands onto the wall, even when you are laying above head height. Bills preferred working method is to gently place the block on the bed and then leave it while preparing the bed for the next block. Then, he says, you can slip the laying aid out and pick up the next block.

Of course, most bricklayers would lay enough of a bed for two or three blocks at a time rather than one by one. If they also butter the perp end before lifting then they would be looking to lift the block by gripping it from the top. That was our initial thoughts but we took it out for a two week tour of the sites to get some more opinions.

Of the bricklayers we showed it to the general consensus was that it is a useful idea, but they probably wouldn’t use it until they were laying above chest height.

One bricklayer told us that he thought the greatest aid to block laying over the last few years has been the rubber faced gloves which allow you to grip the block without getting sore fingers. But not everyone likes to wear gloves and Bill Marshall’s block lifter offers another option.

For more information on the block lifter email: william@marshallwilliam.wanadoo.co.uk

or call:
01329 284592