The day a 12-foot brick arch in Portland started to sag on me

We were finishing up a big custom fireplace and I saw a hairline crack form right in the keystone. My helper, Mike, wanted to just grout it and hope. I made us tear out the last three courses because the mortar mix felt wrong, like it was too sandy. We redid it with a stiffer mix and it's been solid for two years now. Ever had to tear down your own work because something felt off?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_vera1mo agoMost Upvoted

My crew once tore out a whole wall because the mortar felt gritty, @elizabetht56, and that gut call saved a big job later.

elizabetht561mo ago

Was it really that bad though? A hairline crack in the keystone sounds scary but sometimes things settle and a little grout can fix it. I get not wanting to take a risk, but tearing out three whole courses seems like a lot of extra work for a feeling about mortar. Maybe your mix was just fine the first time and you wasted a day.