Saw a brick arch in Charleston that made me rethink my whole approach

I was in Charleston last week checking out some of the old houses, and I saw this brick arch over a garden gate that was just perfect. It was on a house built around 1850, and the mortar joints were so thin and crisp, you could barely see them. I always thought those old arches were just for looks and a pain to build, but this one was clearly holding up the whole wall above it. The bricklayer must have cut every single wedge brick by hand to get that curve so smooth. It made me realize I've been avoiding arches on my own jobs because they seem hard, but maybe I just need to practice the old way. Has anyone here actually built a true structural arch like that, and how did you figure out the cuts?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.nina3d ago

How did you even start learning the cuts for something like that? I get the feeling it's one of those things that looks impossible until you just try it.

sandra_black3d ago

I used to think arches were just fancy trim work for rich people's houses. Seeing a real structural one in Savannah changed my mind completely. The whole wall was sitting on it, and you could tell the bricklayer knew exactly what he was doing. I started practicing on small garden walls with a wooden form to get the curve right. The trick is cutting each brick at a slightly different angle, and yes, you do it by hand. It's slow work but the result doesn't lie.