Finished my first brick archway last Thursday in Columbus

I've been laying brick for about 15 years but never tried an arch until my boss threw me on a small garden wall project. The key was building a solid wooden form and taking my time with the wedge cuts. Any tips for keeping the mortar from sagging on the underside of the arch?

4 comments

4 Comments

olivia_rivera881mo ago

Kept chasing that mortar with a wet sponge like it owed me money, worked a treat but oh man did my arm hurt after.

taylor_young1mo ago

Did you use a regular dish sponge or one of those specific masonry sponges? I tried the same thing with a car wash sponge once and it just fell apart halfway through. Also how long did it take for the pain to go away? Mine was sore for like two days after and I was wondering if thats normal or if I just went too hard.

simon71719d ago

A regular cellulose sponge works if you cut it into a manageable chunk, but anything with a scrub pad on the back will just tear apart. Squeeze it out well so it's damp not dripping, otherwise you're just making a mess instead of cleaning. Mortar dust settles deep, gotta keep rinsing and wringing or you're basically just smearing wet sand around. Your arm hurting is normal, it's basically doing a thousand reps of a wrist curl with a heavy weight. Give it a few days and some ibuprofen, you'll be fine.

claire_wells8719d ago

Straight facts, my arm felt the same way.