My first curved wall came out almost perfect

Been laying brick for about 4 years now and finally got a chance to do a curved walkway for a house in Oak Park. I was nervous as hell because I usually only do straight runs and corners. Took me about 6 hours just to get the layout right with the string and radius marks. The owner came out and said it looks like it was always meant to be there. Has anyone else found a trick for keeping the gap consistent on curves?

2 comments

2 Comments

david_henderson621d ago

Hey, I gotta disagree a bit here. I think you're overthinking it - sometimes eyeballing it and trusting your gut is what gives a wall that handcrafted feel instead of looking like a machine laid it. In my experience, a consistent gap on a curve can actually look a little too perfect and fake, like you used a robot arm or something.

fisher.mason21d ago

Hold your horses on the "almost perfect" claim. Curved walls look good from ten feet away, but up close those gaps can be a total mess if you don't have a system. The string method works fine for a rough guide, but it doesn't stop your joints from widening or narrowing on the inside of the curve. Without a consistent spacer clipped to your trowel, you're just eyeballing it and hoping for the best. Better check it with a gauge rod before the mortar sets or you'll be chasing your tail on cleanup.