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Thursday, 23 October 2008

How to Build a Brick Arch

Tudor archTo day I had to build a brick archway over a gate by the side of a house in Barnet. It was not a job I come across very often so I quite enjoyed doing something different. I first had to make a segmental arch former to support the brickwork.
Using a jigsaw to cut out the shape of the arch from a piece of plywood.I then cut out another piece exactly the same size and joined them together with pieces of 2x2 so that I had a former the exact size and width of the opening.I supported the arch former with a4x2 frame which would be taken away later when the brickwork had gone off. I then built up the brick corners and went to have a pint of beer with my trusted Polish assistant Piotr.
With the arch former in place I laid the bricks on top making sure I had an uneven number (there must always be an uneven number of bricks in an arch) I then put up my line from corner to corner and ran the rest of the brickwork making sure to cut the bricks at the arch very carefully.
Two courses of creasing tiles with brick on edge on top made for a very classy finish and all in all it looked a treat.Time for another pint I think :-)
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