A continuous horizontal row of masonry units laid in mortar along a wall or structure. Masons build walls by stacking successive courses, carefully maintaining a level line and staggering the vertical joints to ensure structural integrity.
We need to lay three more courses of CMU before we hit the window sill height.
Masons use a story pole to ensure every course hits the exact required elevation without compounding small mortar joint errors.
Related terms
Coursing joint
The horizontal layer of mortar sitting between two courses of masonry.
CMU
Concrete masonry unit, the standard hollow rectangular block used in building walls.
Stretching course
A continuous horizontal layer of masonry laid with their longest sides parallel to the face of the wall.
Wythe
A continuous vertical section of a masonry wall that is one unit thick.