Finally got the hang of laying soldier courses on a curved wall

I had a job last week on a garden wall in Oak Park that needed a tight radius, maybe 8 feet. The choice was to cut every brick to fit the curve or to slightly space the mortar joints wider on the outside. I went with adjusting the joints, keeping the bricks whole. It took me three hours to get the first few courses right, but by the end of the day the curve looked smooth as anything. Anyone have a different method for a tight bend like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara_hall911d ago

Wow, my buddy actually cuts every brick for curves that tight!

ryan95211d ago

Yeah that's wild. My friend's dad did a whole circular patio like that once. He spent an entire weekend just cutting bricks with a chisel and a hammer, his hands were totally raw afterwards. Said he'd never do it again even though it looked perfect. The patience some people have is just insane to me.