Saw a brick arch in Savannah that's got me scratching my head

I was down in Savannah last month visiting family and took a walk through the historic district. I stopped to look at this old brick archway on a carriage house off Jones Street. The thing is, the mortar joints are maybe a quarter inch thick, tops. I mean, they're razor thin. The brick itself is this soft, almost salmon-colored local clay. I've been laying brick for fifteen years, mostly modern residential stuff with standard three-eighths joints. I can't figure out how they got such a tight, clean bond with that old, irregular brick. It's a radial arch, and every course is perfect. Did they use a different lime mix back then, or was it just insane skill? Has anyone here worked on a restoration like that and know the trick?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonl8614d agoMost Upvoted

Read somewhere they used a special "gauging mortar" for fine work, basically a super fine lime putty mix.

the_seth24d ago

Forget the skill, that's just old lime mortar. It sets slower so you can shave the joints down after. They probably just used a trowel edge to clean it up.

xena_rivera6324d ago

That slow set theory doesn't hold water for a tight radial arch. You can't just trim that shape after the fact, the bricks have to be placed perfectly. Those masons had a level of hand skill we just don't see anymore.