Lathers handle, erect and install materials that are components in the construction of all or part of a structure. They lay out and install framework for ceiling systems, interior and exterior walls, floors and roofs. Lathers install various types of ceilings (e.g. suspended, spanned, direct contact), shielded walls (e.g. fire, sound, thermal separation) and various sheathing products. They also perform acoustical installations.
Materials that lathers install include: cold rolled steel components (e.g. steel studs, tracks, channels), metal door and window frames, stucco wire, vapour barriers and insulation, sheathing products (e.g. gypsum and cement products), specialty architectural products and metal lath.
Lathers are employed by construction companies and drywall contractors. They may also be self-employed. In the residential construction industry, they construct, maintain and renovate from single family housings to multi-story apartments. In the commercial, institutional and industrial construction sectors they build, maintain and renovate structures such as commercial buildings, schools, hospitals and manufacturing complexes.
Lathers work both indoors and outdoors year round. They may specialize in individual aspects of the trade such as layout, wall framing and drywall installation. Lathers use a variety of hand and power tools. The installation of metal stud framing and suspended ceilings often requires the use of lasers and powder-actuated tools.
Key attributes for people in this trade are good eye-hand coordination, the ability to work at heights and the ability to pay attention to detail. Lathers must be able to read and interpret information from drawings, blueprints and specifications. The work may require lifting and positioning heavy building materials in a fast-paced environment. The work is physically demanding and requires the use of personal protective equipment. Workers in this trade carry out their work in teams and independently.
This analysis recognizes similarities and overlaps with the work of carpenters, sheet metal workers, insulators and drywall tapers.
With experience, lathers may act as mentors and trainers to apprentices in the trade. They may also advance to positions such as estimators, supervisors, training coordinators and project managers.
-
Grant for Students from Middle Income Families
Under this grant, students from middle-income families who qualify for a federal student loan and meet the specific grant eligibility requirements will receive $100 per month of study. This grant is available for all years of a university undergraduate, college or trade school program. Delivered by: Human Resources and Skills... More >
-
Volunteer Centres in Saskatchewan
Volunteer Saskatoon 100-506 25th St East Saskatoon SK S7K 4A7 Tel: 306-975-3477 Fax: 306 244 0583 volunteersaskatoon@unitedwaysaskatoon.ca More >
-
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program
The Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Program - Doctoral Scholarships provides scholarships to doctoral students who have achieved academic excellence in their undergraduate and graduate studies in the field of social sciences and humanities. Delivered by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Candidates must meet the... More >
-
Automotive Painter
Automotive painters work on the surfaces of motor vehicles, primarily in restoring vehicles to their original condition following damage and subsequent auto body repair. Generally, automotive painting begins when body work has been completed. Some of the duties that an automotive painter completes include: removing exterior trim and hardware; removing... More >
-
House of Commons Page Program for High School Students
Each year, 40 students are selected from high schools and CEGEPs across Canada to come to Ottawa and work as Pages in the House of Commons. Pages have the opportunity to learn about the House of Commons while witnessing the legislative process first hand. Those hired as Pages work on... More >
-
Veterinary Colleges in Canada
The Atlantic Veterinary College University of Prince Edward Island 550 University Avenue Charlottetown, PEI, Canada C1A 4P3 Université de Montréal 3200, rue Sicotte Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 7C6 The Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 The Western College of Veterinary Medicine University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon,... More >
-
Canada Student Loans and Grants
The Canada Student Loans Program and the Canada Student Grants Program help by providing student financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to Canadians attending post-secondary education in most provinces and territories. The federal governmentâ??s student loans and grants make it easier for Canadian students and families to... More >
-
Ironworker (Reinforcing)
Ironworkers (reinforcing) cut, bend, lay out, place and weld reinforcing steel rods, welded wire fabric and composite materials in a wide variety of poured concrete products and structures such as buildings, highways, bridges, stadiums and towers. They also place and stress various post-tensioning systems in structures such as parking garages,... More >