That brick arch over my garage door took me 3 tries before it held

Last month I finally got the nerve to try a proper brick arch over my garage door here in Tacoma. My first attempt caved in after two days, just crumbled right at the keystone because I didn't use a temporary support frame. Second try I built a plywood template but the mortar mix was too wet, so the whole thing sagged and looked like a sad frown. Third time I used a steel lintel hidden behind the bricks and let the mortar cure for a full 48 hours before removing the supports. It held up through that windstorm we had last Friday and looks clean now, not crooked at all. Anyone else ever mess up an arch that many times before getting it right?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscar39021d ago

My buddy in Portland tried a brick arch for his driveway and it fell three times too, first one cracked because he didn't brace the sides. Second time he used too much water in the mortar and it slumped like a old porch. Third try he stacked the bricks dry and came back the next day to point them, still standing after two years now.

evan_harris1421d ago

Three tries is actually pretty standard for a first brick arch. I was reading in an old masonry handbook that even the Romans would have failures sometimes if their centering wasn't built right. That steel lintel trick is smart though, I remember my uncle telling me about a guy in Portland who used a hidden steel beam after his third arch fell. The mortar curing time is key too, most people rush it and that's where the trouble starts. Did you use a lime mix or straight Portland cement for the final one?