Any opening can be made more spectacular if you add it with a lintel or arched vault. This design is reliable, because the load is better distributed due to the greater length compared to a straight jumper. This eliminates the need for concrete or metal in cladding or wall construction.
Arched structures can be used for:
- brick lining;
- construction of outdoor barbecues and barbecues;
- construction of openings in load-bearing walls;
- creating portals in the form of gates and gates;
- construction of stoves and fireplaces.
Preparation of tools
If you are faced with the question of how to make a brick arch, you should take care of the availability of some tools, among them should be highlighted:
- buckets;
- lace;
- trowel;
- pick.
You will also need a power tool, namely:
- electric jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- Bulgarian.
We should not forget about marking and carpentry measuring tools.
Preparation for work
In order to fold the brick arch, you will need to assemble a temporary load-bearing timber formwork. It can be a rail, bar or sheet material. Such a support will repeat the shape and dimensions of the arch plane. For successful work, you will need some parameters. This is:
- arch shape;
- arch radius;
- distance between support planes;
- wall thickness.
Arched vaults are represented by two varieties. The arch can be arched or have the correct shape. The form in the work does not play a special role, so you should be guided by the combination of the view with other architectural elements. As for the radius, in the correct arch it will look like a semicircle. It is half the distance between the supports.
The radius of the arch of the bow structure is determined individually. The arch can be of any thickness, even have the appearance of a continuous tunnel. You should first build a structure, the thickness of which is 250 mm, which is equal to one brick. The brick lintel must be stable. In this case, an odd number of products are used. The central stone, which is also called the castle stone, is located at the same distance from the supports or their projections. If it turns out to be less than the standard, you can cut it with an angle grinder. Seam thickness inthe bottom of the masonry should be about 6 mm, and the top - 30 mm or less.
Formwork work
If you want to build a brick arch, you will need to create a formwork from sheet material. Semicircles or segments are cut out of it, the dimensions of which will be equal to the future arch. To strengthen the wheel, the bars are screwed on. The walls are fixed with a bar at the required distance. The slats should be distributed along the edge of the circle at a distance of 200 mm so that they form a supporting frame. They are fixed with self-tapping screws.
Before you build a brick arch, you must block the working plane of the formwork with sheet material like fiberboard. The wooden plane is lubricated with diesel fuel or oil so that it does not deteriorate from the solution and is easier to dismantle. On this we can assume that the formwork is ready. It can be installed in the opening.
Formwork installation
Even if the weight of the bricks is insignificant, and the arch will be located at a height, the formwork should be installed on the racks. They are attached to the supports with dowels. An additional support is installed in the central part. It is important that there are spacers between the uprights.
The arch is laid out simultaneously with the plane, so the place of the pita can be determined by the level of the row of masonry. Its height must be known in advance. If the jumper is arched (it is also called segmented), the stops for the pita should be laid out additionally. Brick for this is cut in place. The beginning of the vault will fall on the plane of the pita.
When the correct brick arch is erected, vaultsstart with products that are arranged horizontally. After that, they rise, changing the angle of inclination. The formwork is therefore installed after the first brick is laid in the support.
Masonry work
Creating an arch is not much different from ordinary masonry. Difficulties can be expressed only in the calculation and manufacture of even formwork. If the structure is cold, then it is best to use a solution prepared with an increased proportion. It provides for the connection of 2.5 parts of sand with a part of cement. If we are talking about a barbecue or stove, you should use a solution on clay.
When creating an arch under a brick, you must lay out products on both sides of the formwork at the same time. It is important to use the thickness limiters of the bottom layer. The plane must coincide with the plane of the supports, while the seams are filled with mortar. You can delete the circle only after 21 days from the date of completion of the work.
Brick consumption
If you want to build a brick arch with your own hands, you need to calculate the material. Everything will depend on how high the structure will be. The height of one row is 72 mm, which is equal to the height of the brick and the height of the joint.
If the laying is carried out in one brick, then to determine the amount of material it is necessary to know the perimeter of the arch, which is divided by the height of one row. This will give you the number of bricks you have to purchase.
How to avoid the risk of breakage
After looking at the photos of brick arches, you can choose the design. But this is not enough to successfully complete the work. For example, in order to reduce the risk of breakage, the right radius should be chosen, which is true if the width is large enough. A small radius will take large loads without distributing them. As a result, cracks may form, but the array will not collapse.
To create a template, use corners or steel bases. They are additionally fixed, but often this leads to adverse consequences. This is due to the fact that when using a wooden template after its dismantling, the masonry is compacted and shrinks. But when using a metal base, the masonry does not sag.
The risk of breakage also increases if the pattern is retained in the design for a long time after it has been created. For example, if the template is left in it overnight. During this time, the wood absorbs moisture and swells, and the masonry does not withstand stress. To avoid unpleasant situations, the arch is covered with polyethylene.
Brickwork
Finishing the arch with a brick is carried out after smoothing the irregularities with sandpaper. Treated areas must be primed and covered with putty. Then an adhesive solution is prepared, which has a cement-sand base. You can also use liquid nails for laying decorative bricks.
Work is carried out from the bottom up, it is necessary to follow from the corner of the wall opening. Between the bricks maintain a distance of 5 mm. The edges are polished with a file. howonly the solution dries, you can make the design of the seams. To do this, use the grout of the desired color. It is filled with a construction syringe. You can also use a rubber spatula. The grout is rubbed into the seams, but the composition should not get on the front of the stone.
In conclusion
Before you start building brickwork, you need to create a supporting structure. 10 mm chipboard is suitable for this. A circle is cut out according to the template, and preliminary calculations should be used. If the design needs to be more stable and durable, chipboard can be replaced with a reinforcement frame.
