That one corner on a brick arch that just would not line up

I was building a curved archway for a fireplace in a house over in Springfield. The plans called for a 6 foot span, and I cut the wooden form just right. But when I started laying the bricks, the final wedge on the right side kept sitting a quarter inch too high, no matter how I tapped it. I spent almost three hours just on that single brick, trying different mortar mixes and shaving the brick itself. In the end, the whole arch took me two full days instead of the one I planned. Has anyone else had a simple arch turn into a major time sink like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.tyler1mo ago

Honestly, I would have said the same thing a few years ago. But I had a patio job where I rushed a step and said "good enough." That tiny slope error meant puddles every time it rained, and the client called me back to fix it. That quarter inch in an arch is the same deal. It's not about looks, it's about the whole structure holding up right for years. That kind of thing will bug you forever if you know it's wrong.

umamoore1mo ago

Is it really that big a deal though? I get it's annoying when things don't fit, but two whole days? Sometimes you just have to get it close enough and move on. It's a fireplace, not a spaceship. Most people will never even notice that quarter inch once the mortar dries.