 Re: It's a sad day in Daveland
Hey Dave,
That's a serious drag, but I'm sure you can work through it. Nature is on your side on this one. You cannot avoid cracking, but you definitely can repair your arch to be structurally 100% solid. It's the nature of brick arches -- get it right and it will stand for hundreds of years.
I agree with the theory that this has to do with lateral thrust pushing your arch outward, not with your mortar and repair compound. The idea of bracing both your entry arch and the vent opening arch sounds right to me --- you can either use a metal brace, or something masonry, either more bricks or blocks.
I used a course of half CMU's when I built my first oven to support the vent and the decorative arch.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
James |