Calculation and laying of brick arches. Brick arch masonry: tips for self-construction Do-it-yourself brick arch

26.03.2020

Decorative stone is one of the most suitable materials for finishing surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Due to its functional and aesthetic advantages, it is increasingly being used to decorate a variety of arches.

Peculiarities

An arch is that architectural element with which a small area can be visually enlarged, and a spacious area can be effectively zoned. A well-decorated passage saves and visually expands the room, functionally separates adjacent rooms and at the same time forms a single interior, creating the desired atmosphere in an apartment or house. Most often, the arches are made of drywall, and then lined with the selected material.

There are many options for processing openings in an apartment: using gypsum, wood, forged elements and, of course, stones: sandstone, shell rock, granite or marble. However, durable natural stone has a high cost, so today its artificial substitutes are increasingly being chosen.

This happens for many reasons:

Finishing the arch with decorative stone will cost you much less.
Using this material, you can imitate the pattern of any rock.
The weight of such a decor will be much less, which can also be a plus - by no means any wall is able to withstand the weight of a real stone.

The decorated entrance to the hallway has both an aesthetic and a practical function. It is here that the owners, guests, and their pets most often move, which means that the passage is heavily polluted. decorative trim it gets dirty less and is easy to clean, also dirt is not noticeable on its surface. Of course, she also immediately attracts the eye.

Since the decoration with a decorative stone is able to repeat the pattern of any natural rock, you are able to decorate in a similar way and interior doors– it is easy to choose a variation suitable for a specific interior. In most cases, the choice is made in favor of imitation brick, small pebbles, marble or granite.

Design options

The process of laying decorative stone is quite simple, so you can decorate any arch with your own hands.

Traditionally, laid out stones form a side strip around the arch, but in some cases it is decided to decorate the entire wall as well. Such decoration with decorative rocks is used not only for doorways, but also for facing windows, niches and built-in furniture. If you have a free niche in a city apartment, then turn it into an arched fake fireplace and put a few burning candles there.

A composition of several arches located in the same space will look very stylish.

Arched openings decorated with artificial stone can, on the one hand, in harmony with the color of the walls, not focus on themselves and act as a backdrop for bright furniture, and, on the other hand, become a center of attraction and a bright design solution. In the event that the arch connects two rooms in dissimilar styles, decorate it on one side only.

arches from artificial stone There are different geometric configurations:

classic - straight sides and arched top. Usually, they are used for completely dissimilar styles, since the design fits organically into any interior;
ellipsoid - with an arc in the form of a regular or irregular oval;

rectangular or portal - the side and upper parts form a right angle;
round - look curious in combination with bright, colorful walls. They are usually preferred by owners of futuristic interiors;
curly - the sides form smooth lines and thereby break the perpendicularity with respect to the floor.

The shape of the arch depends on the size of the opening and the height of the ceiling, the function of the room and its design.

The pattern of the cladding is symmetrical and not symmetrical. Finished using the “torn stone” technology, the arched openings do not have symmetry, but they look non-standard and complement the rooms with the original layout. A symmetrically lined arch with stones to match the wall looks better in classic, calm interiors. Combine a variety of shades of the same color and alternate vertical and horizontal tiles.

Openings are divided into passive and active. The former serve as a simple border, while the latter, which are distinguished by an unusual shape, are themselves an interior decoration. Simple passive types include such types as classical, modern (with a pronounced rise), romance (the arc is rounded on the sides, but cut off at the top) and others. Complex active ones are oriental, horseshoe-shaped, trapezoidal, lancet and others. They have jagged edges and are sometimes located at several levels.

There are also two ways of laying artificial stone: seamless and with the preservation of seams. In residential areas, the seams are usually preserved, as this gives the arch a special zest. They are made wide enough, and then filled with grout of the desired shade.

Often the design of the arched opening is complemented by the creation of proper lighting and decoration with plant elements. The choice of fixtures depends on the style of the arch: there are built-in and inconspicuous models, artsy sconces, or bright LED lights.

With the help of light, the expected mood is given: mystical, solemn and upbeat, calm and relaxed, or neutral.

Material selection

Decorative stone is created from natural components: expanded clay, cement and pumice with the addition of a special mineral pigment to give color. Such material is considered environmentally friendly and safe - it is not afraid of corrosion, rotting and fungal diseases. Upon completion of the drying and firing processes, it receives a durability that is in no way inferior to the original.

The decorative stone is resistant to very high and low temperatures, therefore, it is often used for facing fireplaces and exterior walls of a house. It is also used in rooms with high humidity: swimming pools, bathrooms and others. It is worth adding that an arch made of such material is easy to clean and dry with conventional means.

Currently, it is possible to choose a decorative stone that imitates any natural stone, not only in color, but also in texture. Therefore, the choice of materials should depend solely on the design of the room.

Tiles are sold in flat plates of different thicknesses and sizes. There is also an angular option that helps to decorate the upper part of the arch without any problems. But it should be selected very carefully, completing all the calculations.

The most popular are imitations of shell rock, granite, slate, marble and travertine. The surface is smooth, or resembles a rough and untreated stone. The basis of the decor is made of acrylic, quartzite, or with a base of gypsum, alabaster or a mixture of cement and sand.

If the arch itself is made of drywall, then choose a flexible, lightweight acrylic material, or plaster tiles. A brick arch can be decorated with stones on a sand-cement mortar. In addition, try to choose a narrow tile - it is easier to mount it on the semicircular part of the opening. The cost of such material depends on the country of manufacture, firm, quality, weight and even patterns on the stone.

The installation process is quick and hassle-free. You do not have to purchase additional mounts and involve craftsmen. But, in any case, before starting finishing work, it is necessary to check all the stones.

First you need to prepare the material:

Open the packages and mix the parts.
See how they will look the most advantageous. Combine them, according to shades, and long with short ones - the arch should look natural.
Flip the pieces over to the back side to check for a foamy layer that will make the tile less likely to stick. If it is, clean it with a metal brush.

What else do you need?

To finish the arch, you will need at least the following tools: what you will cut stone with (hand saw or grinder), construction knife, level, hammer, sandpaper, chisel, glue.

The step-by-step process of facing looks like this:

Cut the decorative stone into several pieces or thin tiles. Prepare the surface of the arch in advance by cleaning it of dust and dirt, old wallpaper, paint and whitewash. Make a few notches, which will allow the glue to stick better. You can also apply a primer, after which it is important to dry the structure.
Having prepared "liquid nails", cement mortar or some other adhesive composition, start gluing the tiles from the bottom of the arch, from its junction with the floor. Pay attention to the weight of the stone - some brands are not able to bear heavy samples. Apply glue to the wall with a spatula and press the stones more tightly, but do not overdo it, otherwise cracks will occur. Leave a gap of 5 millimeters between them. Keep in mind that adhesion will be higher if the tile contains the same ingredient as the surface on which it is glued.

Work through the row on both sides of the arch, and then move on to the next. Line each one up using a level and use plastic crosses. If there are corner stones, then use them to decorate the corners. If there are none, then overlap the flat ones - this way you will give the structure stability.
After that, start rounding. At this stage, you need to cut the stone yourself to give it the desired shape, using a grinder, a construction knife or wire cutters. Use sandpaper and a file to smooth out irregularities. Partially lay the stone on the nearby wall surface.
After a couple of days, when everything dries up and grabs, start filling in the tile joints cement mortar or grout. You can choose a grout of any color, depending on the design of the room. Avoid getting liquid on the surface of the stone, remove excess immediately with a soft cloth. After the arch is completely dry, cover it with acrylic varnish or even paint it. Minor errors are hidden with an airbrush.

You will learn even more information on how to make a stone arch in the interior from the following video.

Many rooms are equipped with arches separating different zones. Arches have become a fashionable alternative to doors and partitions, they make the apartment more spacious and can be an ideal decor object. For the design of arches, various natural and artificial materials are chosen. One of the most popular options is the decoration of the arch with decorative stone. To decorate the arch correctly, you need to know about all the nuances of the design and material.

Advantages

For the decoration of the arch, one of two types of stones is chosen - artificial or natural. Each type has its own advantages.

Natural materials are characterized by the following features:

They have a very interesting texture. Such stones look non-standard - both on the pages of magazines and photographs, and upon closer examination. These include shell rock, sandstone.
Lovers of delicate colors in the interior should choose arches lined with marble. This stone is designed in various shades of pink, the pastel color looks very neat and unobtrusive.
To emphasize their status, buyers often choose arches finished with granite. This material is very expensive, but it gives the interior solidity and is a sign of financial well-being.

Artificial decorative stones also have their advantages:

They are made so high quality that they are almost indistinguishable from natural materials.
The price of such material is democratic. You can finish the vault with a large number of stones without worrying about financial costs.
Artificial stone is usually finished in such a way that it is not inferior in strength to natural materials.
The weight of the decorative coating is significantly less than natural. The combination of strength and lightness gives the artificial material a significant advantage.
Artificial stone is not affected external factors. It is not subject to rotting and mold formation, harmful bacteria do not appear on it.
With the help of a variety of dyes, they create a wide palette of colors for stones, so you can choose a shade that is suitable for your apartment.
decorative material easy to clean, no need to buy special means for care and adhere to special technologies.

Based on these characteristics, you can determine which type of material is more suitable for finishing arches in your apartment. You will be able to choose the best option.

Instruments

To glue the opening with stones, you need to stock up on certain tools and materials:

a hammer;
sandpaper;
chisel;
hacksaw for stone carving;
construction knife;
building level;
putty knife;
roulette;
construction mixer;
Grout syringe.

As Supplies the following components are used:

Choose a special glue for decorative stone - depending on the chosen coating. Some materials require glue with a special composition, so be careful when buying.
To make the seams between the stones invisible, choose a grout that is close in color to the material.
Get a primer to prepare the walls. Choose a primer carefully, taking into account the composition of the walls, because different types primers may differ from each other. Not all of them will be suitable for your apartment.
A water repellent is needed for the final processing of the stone.

If you have all the necessary materials and tools, you can easily cope with the design of the walls with decorative or natural stone.

Training

In order for the material to be fixed as firmly as possible, it is imperative to prepare the surface of the wall and the part to which the stone itself will join.

Remains of wallpaper and paint should be removed from the walls. If there is whitewash near the doorways, then its traces must also be removed.
Use putty to level the surface.
The arch and walls in the apartment must be treated with a primer. If the arch is made of drywall, do not lay heavy stone on it. Drywall won't hold a lot of weight.
Some use stones of several colors in the interior. If you are going to start finishing the vault, lay out the composition of stones in such a way as to draw up a drawing in advance - and only then transfer it to the wall.
Calculate the size of the material so that each part fits exactly into a specific place in the doorway.

Finishing

The direct finishing of the opening is the main stage of the whole process, which must take place in a certain sequence:

It is necessary to stir the glue to a homogeneous mass (using a mixer). You should do this strictly according to the instructions.
Glue is applied to the surface where the stone will be placed, and to the back of the tile itself. Layers should be from 0.5 to 1 cm thick, but no more.
Attach a stone or decorative brick tile to the wall surface and press down. Each piece is fixed in a predetermined place and aligned with building level. Square parts are much easier to apply, but tiles of a different shape will make the cladding more original.

Try with your hands to attach the stone to the wall as tightly as possible.
Tap the surface of the material and remove the protruding adhesive, if any. When the glue holds the pieces of tile together from the end, it should be left.
After you need to carefully grout the seams. Using a syringe, it is necessary to fill the joints between the pieces of the tile so that the recess is at a distance of 0.3-0.5 cm from the outer edge of the coating.

After half an hour (after the solution has dried), the surface should be leveled with a spatula.
To create an imitation of natural material, tiles should be decorated with chips. To do this, you need to pre-outline the chip line. Slowly and carefully remove the excess edges with pliers, moving from the edge to the intended line. Use a file to smooth out the edges of the chips. Use sandpaper for final polishing.
You can spray the tiles using a special aerosol. If indoors high humidity, treat the material with a water repellent.

It should be remembered not only the main stages of the process, but also the special advice that professionals give in the design of arches in the premises:

Artificial stone arches in the hallway are recommended to be left with seams between the tiles. This nuance gives additional comfort. However, it is important to remember that too sharp a contrast between the shade of the coating and the color of the seams is unacceptable.
If you have to cut artificial material with a saw, then it is important not to put pressure on it during this process, otherwise there is a risk that the stone will crack.
A stone arch is inseparable from good lighting. Make sure in advance that the room or corridor is equipped with powerful electrical appliances. This will allow you to enjoy all the beauty and texture of the material. Luminaires can be placed directly in the vault structure itself, which will give the design additional originality.
Arches lined with decorative stone or brick look especially beautiful in combination with plants. The vegetation near the structure will make it sparkle in a new light and make your interior truly sophisticated.
Even openings made of stone can be decorated with decorative curtains made of suitable material. Curtains should not attract attention, they are only intended to create additional comfort in the room.

Design options

The room in which the arch is located can be decorated in various styles. For each of them it is necessary to select a material of a special texture and a certain color.

Interior arches in the loft style are made under the old brick. They can be decorated in red, gray or brown. It is in these structures that a large number of chips, emphasizing the influence of time on the material.

tender concept Provencal interior involves the use of light stone or brick, without pronounced signs of time. Such masonry should be very neat.

The pompous baroque style involves the use natural stone for registration interior arches. Such material is a sign of wealth and solidity. The stones near the doorway are very large and massive. In most cases, they are designed in light shades.

In the Mediterranean style, arched decoration can be embodied in the fullest variety. Any texture material can be selected. Preference is given to light or neutral brown shades, depending on the main range of the interior. Mediterranean arches can even be combined with curtains in a similar style.

The Empire direction is very specific for creating interior arches. His feature is the supply of the structure with columns on the sides. This design makes the vault a catchy detail of the interior. The main colors are white, beige. The columns at the top are often decorated with stone carving technology, which may also be present on the arch itself.

The minimalist style practically excludes the allocation of space around the arch with the help of masonry. Usually, small stone slabs cover the entire wall where the arched opening is located, and the inner surface of the opening is finished using special materials - without the use of stone.

Country style is dominated by beige brick. The arches are created with a purposeful focus on the junctions. The material finds echoes in other interior items - for example, in a fireplace, which goes well with the arch.

Many people think about in which parts of the house the presence of an arched structure is acceptable.

There are several options for its location in the premises:

Popular are such arches that separate the kitchen area and the dining area. A similar layout can often be seen in country and Provence styles.
The dining and living areas are also often separated in the same way. Sometimes a stone arch is suitable for rooms decorated in various color schemes. It looks equally presentable with any shades of furniture and walls.
Arches are popular not only as doorways, but also for styling windows. Often the wall is designed in such a way that a protrusion in the form of an arch is located above the window. This design is relevant for the loft style.
In the bedroom, arches separate the work area from the relaxation area. This concept is especially often embodied in modern directions interior.
If the loggia is insulated, then often the upper part of the wall is removed. There remains an elegant lower partition, turning into an arch.
In large rooms, openings are sometimes used as boundaries between all zones. This replacement of doors contributes to visual expansion spaces in the room.

In order to decorate the facade of the house, decorative architectural elements are often used, giving it a special beauty and originality. Among these elements, window arches can be noted. They are often used both in private homes and in buildings of various institutions.

How to make an arch? Is it difficult? How long will it take to complete the work? All this and more will be discussed further.

To begin with, consider what an arch is and what types it comes in. An arch is a curly arc that can be installed both above door and window openings. Next, the window arch will be considered.

There are three types of window arches:

wedge arch, in which the bricks above the rectangular window are laid out in a wedge, while the bricks fix themselves, clinging to each other;
an ordinary arch (full) represents half a circle, that is, the height is equal to the radius.
the arch arch, which is also called truncated or incomplete, is an arc whose shape is less than the width, that is, the radius;

Each of these arches has its pros and cons. Below will be described the technique for creating a beam arch, which is perfect for almost all facades.

How to make a brick arch with your own hands?

The technology for creating an arch contains several stages:

template making;
template installation;
a set of brick arches;
arch compression;
dismantling the template;
clean finish.

Making an arch template

The root stage is the manufacture of the template. The template itself is made from a chipboard sheet using fiberboard and wooden bars. The quality of the template, the correspondence of its shapes and sizes to the given parameters determine the proportions of the arch itself, so its manufacture should be approached as lightly as possible.

First you need to determine the dimensions of the template. For this, the width of the opening is measured (take for example a window with a width of 1500 mm). The width of the template is taken 5 mm less - 1495 mm. This will help in the future to easily dismantle the template on final stages even when it swells with moisture. The height of the template should correspond to the selected height of the arch, for example, let's take 168 mm. It is desirable that a full face brick be laid on top of the arch, therefore the height is selected based on the number of bricks. The height of one row is approximately 72 mm (the height of the brick and the seam), and part of the rows is selected 4. Thus, the height of the arch is: 72 * 4-120 = 168 mm, even 120 mm - the height of the shaped brick laid on the edge.

The height can be chosen both higher and lower, but it must be borne in mind that an arch that is too low with a large width can sag under the load from the brickwork.
The thickness of the template depends on the thickness of the wall. The arch should be such that it is not necessary to make a second template, because there should be two arches: front and back. We accept a thickness of 200 mm, which is half the thickness of the cinder block. A larger template will be heavier, which is also undesirable.

So, the parameters of the template are as follows: width - 1495 mm, elevation - 168 mm, thickness - 200 mm. Now you can start making it. Get a sheet of chipboard marks the center of the arch, the upper and lower points. So to get a truncated semicircle, the upper and lower points are connected between the signboard with an arc. To do this, you can use a wire or thread with a pencil tied to it on one side, and a metal peg on the back. This is a kind of compass, only its radius is incomparably larger than that of an ordinary one.

For more convenient installation of the template, you need to step back from the extreme lower points of the arc by about 100 mm. This is necessary so that the arch has supports for attaching the bars.
A circle is cut exactly along the resulting contour. To do this, you can use an electric jigsaw.

The standard consists of two such circles, so they need to be glued in duplicate. In this case, it is easier to first cut out the first one, and subsequently circle it by attaching it to a chipboard sheet, and cut the second one along the resulting contour.

In order for the template to become voluminous, between two circles are fixed wooden blocks. After the design of the template is fastened with screws or nails.
A strip of fiberboard is fastened to the upper arched part of the template with nails (20-25 mm). She makes it smoother, gives it the right shape, and also keeps the bricks laid from above.

Installing an arch template in a window opening

Next, the template is installed in the fenestrated opening. Under it, supports made of boards 20 mm thick are installed, and between the supports - a spacer for fixing them. The template is installed on the boards at the same level as the front shaped brick, its height should match the frame of the window.

When installing a beam arch, you need to slightly cut the top brick, which will be installed on the template, and the window frame with a grinder. In this case, the arch will be set lower, and the brick will move towards the inner corner.

Facial arch arrow

The front arch usually protrudes above the wall surface, and this protrusion should be minimal (less than 60 mm). A large protrusion can lead to soaking of the bricks of the arch and their gradual destruction. But it is advisable to cover even minor protrusions with some kind of material, for example, tiles or a sheet of metal. On the other hand, the larger the ledge, the more impressive and voluminous the arch looks, so it's up to you to decide what to give preference to: beauty or practicality.

When laying face brick, you need to pay attention to the fact that it has two front sides, and in cases where the brick strongly protrudes beyond the plane of the wall, not only the front sides are visible, but also the “wrong sides”, the surface of which is uneven and rough, does not look very attractive.

Construction of a bow arch made of bricks

Before you start laying out the arch, you need to install fines on both sides, which will make it easier and faster to fix the arch.

You need to start making the arch from the “heels”, on which it relies. After installing them, the height of one row of masonry is measured with a tape measure and the number of rows around the arch is calculated. In the example described, a brick with a seam occupies 70.5 cm in height, and the number of rows is ten. Next, risks are applied to the template, marking the positions of the rows.

The arch is typed immediately from two sides from the bottom up. The last brick, which is called the "lock" brick, is installed in the center of the arch at its top and fixes the rest of the bricks. There can be two such bricks if their total number is even. Key bricks need to be hammered tightly into the masonry so that they not only hold themselves, but also hold the entire arched structure.

Clamping an arch with a brick

When the arch is set, it must be clamped with a brick, in addition, it is advisable to do this on the same day, without postponing later, otherwise it may burst. Since brick lines were previously installed, it will not be difficult to cramp the arch.

After clamping the arch, you can immediately remove the template and clean the surface. If the weather is good and the air temperature is high, the mortar will quickly harden on the same day, this will definitely make it possible to remove the template without damaging the masonry. If it is left for a day or two, it will be much more difficult to clean the seams from the solution.

Cleaning the arch from the solution

The seams during the masonry process do not always turn out to be perfectly even and clean, so their cleaning is a mandatory procedure. The solution may be squeezed out of the joints, falling on the front surface of the masonry, or not completely filling them. In the first case, the seams are cleaned and wiped with a dry cloth. In the second - the solution is additionally applied to the seams in the direction from the bottom up.

The next day, the wall with the arch needs to be raised several rows of bricks.

backfill arch

Now you can proceed to the backfill arch. For its manufacture, the same wooden template is used, but with some modifications. Since arched windows have a quarter of 5 cm on the sides, both the arch and, accordingly, the template must have it, so the template must be grown by this amount. To do this, wooden blocks with a section of 45x45 mm and a length of 200 mm are nailed to the fiberboard sheet, the distance between them is about 70 mm.

Since the sheet is flexible enough, the resulting tape is easily bent and attached to the upper arched part of the template.

Next, the manufacturing technology of the backing arch repeats the manufacturing technology of the front arch. Initially, “heels” are installed, bricks are laid out from them to the top of the arch. For this, second-hand backing single bricks mounted on a rib are usually used.

Before starting work, it is advisable to immediately prepare without a break necessary materials and tools, as well as make a template, cut wooden blocks, props and spacers. AT total the round process of making an arch takes 8.5-9 hours, so it’s more likely to start work in the morning and do everything in one day.

Due to this, the arch can burst?

Consider the reasons why the arch can break through:

too small radius (height) of the arch with a large width. Such a system perceives significant loads that are not distributed evenly. The result may be the appearance of cracks, but the arch itself will not collapse;
corners, in other words, metal bases, are used as a template. They are used to further strengthen the structure, but sometimes this leads to the opposite result. Why? When using a wooden template, over time it is removed, the brickwork shrinks and compacts. If a metal base is used, it does not allow the masonry to sag, since it is not removed and interferes with uniform natural shrinkage. In this case, in general, the view will turn out to be quite strong, although with cracks;
the template was in the arch will get long time after its manufacture. For example, he was not taken away in one sitting, but left for the night. During this time, the wood absorbed moisture, swelled, and the arched toe could not withstand the stress. True, this happens infrequently, but any one is equal in cases where it is impossible to immediately remove the template, it is better to serve the arch with polyethylene;
subsidence of the foundation. The appearance of cracks near window openings - Wodan is one of the signs of an incorrectly chosen or built foundation, and cracks on top of the arch are no exception. In this case, you need to strengthen the foundation.

That's all for building a brick arch over a window. Here you can see that there is nothing complicated about this, and the process itself takes no more than 9 hours, so it is quite possible to manage it in one day. The main thing is to prepare everything you need in advance and strictly follow the technology. This is the guarantee of a quality result.

It is only possible to block fireplaces and stoves arches, ties, overlap or wedge. Do not use metal products for floors: fittings, corners, channel bars, etc.

Arch the most reliable ceiling, transferring the vertical load from the upper rows of the masonry of the stove or fireplace to the walls “into the thrust”.

Arches are:

semicircular
archery
direct

semicircular arch- exactly half a circle - the most durable and reliable. The radius of curvature in such an arch is equal to half the width of the firebox.

For laying such an arch, you must first make a circle. Take a sheet of plywood and cut out of it 2 semicircles with a radius of half the width of the firebox. Place the semi-circles on the floor and insert 11 cm long wooden blocks between them and hammer them together with nails. The circle is ready.

When laying an arch on a cement-sand mortar, the bricks are laid on the circle whole, not ground off, but the masonry is wedged with a mortar. When laying an arch on clay, it is impossible to jam with a mortar, since the clay-sand mortar has a very low strength and sooner or later it will crumble out of the seams. Therefore, all bricks of the arch must be ground into a wedge. Moreover, the dimensions of the wedge depend on the radius of the arch.

You can calculate the dimensions of the wedge through geometric formulas, but it is easier to draw with a thread. To do this, put the circle on the table and attach a brick to it. From the center of the circle, pull the thread to the upper left corner of the brick.
Draw a cut line on the brick with a pencil from the upper left corner. Do the same with right side bricks. You will get something like this picture. Then grind off the excess with a grinder or pick and you will get a wedge brick, designed specifically for your radius of curvature of the arch.

After preparing the required number of wedge bricks, you can start laying. The circle is installed in the firebox on props, leveled and plumb. The laying of the arch is carried out, starting with the extreme bricks, so that there is a brick in the upper part of the arch, and not a seam between two bricks. The correctness of the masonry is checked with a thread stretched from the center of the circle. Bricks adjacent to the arch are fitted to it in place.

Bow arch flatter than semicircular. It is used for wider windows, with a limited window height. Circles under such an arch are not an even half of a circle, but a sector.

The technology of laying a beam arch is the same as that of a semicircular arch, with the only difference being that the radius of curvature in such an arch is not known in advance. It is calculated by the formula:

R - radius of curvature of the bow arch

c - the height to which you want to raise the top of the arch (usually equal to the height of 1-2 rows of masonry)

c - half the width of the firebox

straight arch. It is used in the event that you want to make a mandatory direct overlap. From the arch, only bricks, ground into a wedge, remain here. That is, the principle of the arch (to transfer the vertical load to the sides) remains, and the shape of the arc disappears.

At the same time, it is not necessary to make a circle. The laying of the arch is carried out on the board. In manufacturing, a straight arch is the most difficult of all floors. The main difficulty is the calculation of the cut angles of each brick, or rather its measurement.

To determine the corners of the stitch, you must first specify the center of the arch. Further, the technology is similar to the manufacture of bricks for a bow arch. Only instead of a circle, a straight board is used. First, a central brick is placed in the center of the board. The angles of the cuts are measured with a thread stretched from the center of the arch to its upper corners.

The central brick (1) is sawn along the cut lines. Then, the second brick (2) is attached to the central cut brick on the right so that the lower left corner of the second brick coincides with the lower right corner of the central one. The thread (4) is pulled over the upper right corner of the second brick from the center of the arch (3). The cutting line is drawn. In this case, the lower right corner of the second brick is below the line of the board. On the board, as on a ruler, the second cut line (5) is drawn, cutting off the lower right corner of the second brick.

In the same way, successively attaching subsequent bricks to the arch, all the rest are cut. In this case, each time the lower right corner of the next brick will fall lower and lower than the level of the board. Using the same technology, bricks are cut in left side from central. The result is an arch with a flat bottom and a stepped top.

Now it remains to draw a straight line from the upper left corner of the leftmost brick to the upper right corner of the rightmost brick and cut all the bricks along this line. This way you will get a set of bricks for a straight arch. Such an arch is placed along a straight board, as if in a circle. When choosing the center of the arch, it must be taken into account that the height of the bricks and the strength of the arch directly depend on its position. The closer the center is to the arch, the steeper the wedges are, the arch is stronger, but the height of the bricks in it decreases.

Screed. It is used if you want to make a direct overlap with vertically standing bricks. Not the most reliable way overlap. The use of steel rods can cause the ceiling to sag over time. To make a screed, take two steel bars with a diameter of 10-12 mm and a length of 20-30 cm more than the width of the firebox. Cut the threads at the ends of the rods. In bricks intended for overlapping, drill holes with a diameter of 12-14 mm. Arrange the drilled bricks in a row and thread them through the holes in the cut. Fill the seams between the bricks with mortar. After the solution dries, put washers on the rods and pull off the resulting beam with nuts. You can install such a brick block directly on the fireplace window. It's very pretty, but due to the use of metal, very unreliable. No matter how refractory a brick is, it still heats up and heats the steel rods, and the coefficients of thermal expansion of brick and steel are very different from each other.

Overlap cover. It is used for direct overlapping of small (up to 1 brick wide) areas in furnaces. Bricks in such a ceiling do not fall through due to the fact that they are cantilevered in the masonry. When laying under them, you need to put a plank, which is then removed.

Wedge overlap. It is used for direct overlapping of openings up to 2 bricks wide. To overlap with a wedge, a support is also used, on which numbered bricks are laid. After the end of the entire masonry, the plank is removed. Bricks No. 3 are held by a rigid embedment in the masonry, brick No. 6 is held by a wedge.

Video: do-it-yourself arch masonry

The arch is an architectural element and is a lintel in the wall opening. This beautiful design makes more expressive appearance buildings or interior design interior. It not only effectively divides the room without a door, but is also able to distribute the load from the top point to the sides. Brick arches are most often performed from the outside. And in the interior, drywall is used to create a rounded opening.

Varieties

A curved brick bridge, called an arch, can be made different ways, hence the diversity of species.

The classic, or full arch, is a traditional semicircle. An arc lined with bricks is half a circle. A similar architectural element can be decorated with columns.

The onion variety looks like a truncated, incomplete classical arch (only the upper part). The jumper in this case is less than the radius of the door width.

Wedge arches fit the Gothic style. In this design, the bricks are laid out with a wedge and fastened with a “lock”.

The lancet (broken) arch consists of two halves, the highest point of which is not the line of a circle, but the top of a triangle in a smooth execution. The Gothic direction often uses windows with broken lines.

In the style of "romanticism" the type of opening with a straight line is used. top with rounded transitions to the side walls.

In "modern" there is a very wide arc in the form of a truncated cone.

Portal (straight) arch rectangular shape so simple that you can build it yourself.

Openings, made in the shape of an ellipse, decorate various styles interior.

Irregularly shaped arches can come in the most unexpected forms, such as a vintage garden structure.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before you get arches in the garden, in the yard or in the house, you should think about whether they are really needed, weigh all the pros and cons, and only then implement your plan. The advantages of such structures include:

spectacular appearance, you can always choose a shape that matches the style of the interior;
portals, in the absence of doors, are able to expand the volume, they allow you to see only part of the territory beyond their borders, and the rest of the space is completed by the imagination;
architectural lintels are reliable, they evenly direct the vertical load to the sides to the walls;
arches are universal, they can decorate not only a door or window opening, but also a fireplace, gazebo, gate, gate, even a blank wall.

As for the disadvantages, for some people the absence of a door may seem uncomfortable. In addition, the arch obliges to maintain the overall style of the room. And who decides on an independent installation, will have to perform all operations in a strict order.

Mounting

You can lay out a brick arch with your own hands. You need to start by choosing a place and type of structure. The complexity of execution depends on the model, but the sequence construction works for all types of structures will be approximately the same:

a sketch of the selected arch model is drawn;
calculations are made;
a drawing is drawn up with dimensional marks;
according to the drawing, a template is made from chipboard;
the template is installed in place of the jumper;
laid out from a brick arch;
the laid out structure is fixed, fixed;
the template is removed;
plaster can be used for finishing work.

It is not difficult to build an arch, but in order for it to be stable and not collapse, it must be folded correctly. For this, a clear sequence of construction works is observed. If the structure is wide, massive, it may be necessary to strengthen the foundation.

What to make?

Construction material for the manufacture of an arched opening should be prepared in advance. Brick is often used clinker or full-bodied ceramic (M-150). If there is no desire to independently give the brick the shape of a trapezoid, you can purchase a ready-made wedge-shaped stone. For stove and fireplace arches, the solution is made with the addition of fireclay clay and sand, it has refractory properties. For other types of construction, you can choose other types of solutions with increased adhesion. For the template, you will need chipboard sheets and bars.

Calculations and template creation

If a place is selected and a sketch of the model is ready, you can proceed to the calculations. You need to know the size of the wall from floor to ceiling. Then mark the height and width of the arch itself, calculate the radius. To make a template, you will need to find out the thickness of the supporting parts, measure the distance from the highest point of the structure to the ceiling, the height and width of the opening.

To calculate the radius of the lintel, add the square of its height and the square of the width / double the height of the lintel (usually it is 1-2 rows of masonry). The radius is half the width of the opening. In the same way, calculations are made for the template. The template is made slightly smaller than the arched structure, so as not to damage the masonry during dismantling.

A drawing of a half circle with a calculated radius is applied to the chipboard sheet. Then two identical semicircles are cut out and fastened with bars into a single structure. The template is temporarily mounted in the opening and fixed on spacers and wooden fasteners (supports).

Using the length of the arc, the number of required bricks is calculated, seams also need to be taken into account, but make them as minimal as possible. The size of the brick wedge is selected visually, in the course of work, the wedge-shaped shape of each stone is carved out. You can immediately purchase a wedge-shaped brick, but masonry errors will be more noticeable than with an individual fit.

How to post?

After installing the template, proceed to brickwork the opening itself. Bricks in columns are laid out from the bottom up, from two sides at the same time. All seams are carefully filled with mortar, voids can later cause destruction of the structure. In the central upper part, the last brick is hammered, a “lock” is installed, it will fix the structure. The template is dismantled only when the entire structure is completely ready. Then the excess mortar is removed, the seams are aligned, the masonry is prepared for facing work. For finishing, you can choose decorative plaster.