# Brick Ceiling 2 To Tscarborogh



## jshuatree8 (Feb 1, 2007)

EARLIER QUESTION WAS STUPID. HOW ABOUT THE SPAN ON A COSMETIC CEILING HOW WIDE A SPAN CAN U GET AWAY WITH BETWEEN PEIRS?


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## ProWallGuy (Oct 17, 2003)

Lighten up on the ALL CAPS. It looks like you're yelling.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

A flat ceiling should not have brick on it, faux or otherwise.


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## tkle (Apr 15, 2006)

I've done small sections in flag.PITA.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

One of my goals in life is to build a brick ceiling in a house I build myself. They are the most interesting and beautiful ceilings that I have ever seen. Of course as noted flat doesn't work but man oh man vaulted brick ceilings or boveda's are incredible. In my opinion a vaulted brick ceiling pinnacle of brick craftsmanship. 

Many old adobe houses have them in the entrance as well as some really really old buildings in Switzerland.

Here are a few pics of different kinds.

A front entryway boveda being built in Abq.










The final product.









A few more interesting vaulted brick ceilings to show variety.



















I love heated interior brick floors as well


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Yep, those are beautiful. I love them, real or fake, but they have to be arched.


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## jshuatree8 (Feb 1, 2007)

thanx for the pics I thoght a flat one could be done but I guess not me and another MSN was discussing it the other day I'll show him the these and tell him we were both right. Also what about the procedure for doing this? Arches I got but pictures 3 and 4 the full ceilings looks like a hair raiser.


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Those are awesome Luka!! I would love to be try something like that as well, but honestly, I dont know if I have the technical capabilities to pull it off.

Tell ya what, when I build in a few years, all of you can come up and help me put one in.:thumbup:


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

6stringmason said:


> Those are awesome Luka!! I would love to be try something like that as well, but honestly, I dont know if I have the technical capabilities to pull it off.
> 
> Tell ya what, when I build in a few years, all of you can come up and help me put one in.:thumbup:


Well neither do I to be honest, but can't never knew did.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

I have never built one, but have seen them done. There is nothing more complicated than building a regular arch; they are just extended arches.


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## alanna (Feb 11, 2007)

*Brick Boveda*

Luka,I've been searching the internet for "how to" information on building a brick boveda ceiling exactly like the ones in your photos. If anyone has info, let me know. thanks, alanna


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

Alanna
Well that is a good question. I bet nobody on this board has built one. That being said I'm sure that with some due diligence and some determination and some masonry skills (more the better) many here could do it. 

This is what I do know. The simple barrel ceilings would not be too hard. Here is a couple of pictures of 2 different styles being laid. Notice on the bigger ceiling the use of a wooden buck. The buck is the secret to building the single barrel ceiling as well as the more complex shapes i would think. The wooden buck takes the weight until the arch is completed at which time it becomes self supporting. (can often even be used in load bearing situations as well) In the case of a long barrel roll brick ceiling you just have to keep the buck moving along your horizontal plane as you lay. The nice thing about the arch is that you can take the buck out while the mortar is still wet (at least I have) so that you can go back and finish the jointing while the window of opportunity is open.

Here is a boveda de canyon being built over an entrance. Here is the original caption by the builder. Taken from one of the most interesting websites I have ever seen. It is the step by step process with pictures of building a modern old school million dollar adobe home. 

I guarantee this website will keep you up for awhile if you have any interest in alt building practices/adobe at all.
http://www.nmbuilder.com/index.html

Here is the caption for the below picture written by David C. Peterson which may be informative.

_HERE I AM TAKING YET ANOTHER BREAK FROM THE FIREPLACES TO WORK ON THE BOVIDA de CANYON IN THE ENTRY OF THIS HOME.
THE " CANYON " TERMINOLOGY COMES FROM IT BEING LONGER THAN IT IS WIDE. A BRICK CEILING THAT IS CLOSER TO BEING SQUARE IS SIMPLY CALLED A BOVIDA. BUT BOTH ARE BUILT OF BRICK, AND BOTH REQUIRE SKILL AND ENGINEERING TO SUCCESSFULLY BUILD. THE CONCRETE BOND BEAM RESTING ON TOP OF THE ADOBE WALLS DOES DOUBLE DUTY HERE BECAUSE IT IS ALSO RESISTING THE OUTWARD THRUST OF THE ARCH.
GET THIS WRONG, AND THE WHOLE THING FALLS DOWN.
THIS IS WHY I HAVE MY STRUCTURAL ENGINEER DESIGN THE SIZE AND
THE STEEL REINFORCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE BOND BEAM,
AND THEN I TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER.

THE ONE INCH WIDE PLWOOD FORM IS MOVED ALONG THE WALL AS I COMPLETE EACH COURSE. I ALSO NEED TO BACK PLASTER THE TOP OF THE BOVIDA, AND CLEAN THE JOINTS UNDERNEATH .
THE WHOLE THING WILL BE COVERED WITH INSULATION AND THE SECOND ROOF SO THE MAIN THING I AM CONCERNED WITH IS HOW IT LOOKS UNDERNEATH, AND THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF IT.

HEY KIDS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME !!!

BEFORE ANYONE SHOULD CONSIDER BUILDING A BOVIDA IT IS
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. 
EVERY ASPECT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT FROM THE FOOTINGS, TO THE WALL DESIGN, AND THE SIZE OF THE BOVIDA NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY A LICENSED STRUCTURAL ENGINEER._









Finished Product!!!!









Here are is a brick ceiling using parallel barrel arches. I saw some ceiling like this in Switzerland. No bucks just steel lintels.



















Now those are the simple brick ceilings. The more complicated ones like the ones in the photos I posted earlier take it up a whole another notch. I took the liberty to model a double vault just to see what the inside profile would be. Here is what I have so far if it helps you.



















Hope all of this helps just a little.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

The steel lintel method is very common in Mexico and somewhat common here; I have supplied brick for several like that in the past year. Not my favorite, but it works when you do not have the headroom for a wider/deeper arch.

The more complicated arches are just a matter of shoring/bucks. The arch will hold, regardless. The issues come in on lateral stress to the supporting walls.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

6stringmason said:


> Tell ya what, when I build in a few years, all of you can come up and help me put one in.:thumbup:



That would be fun. Although you better do it quick before my masonry skills disappear. I don't lay much anymore. I just line up work and do the business end of it and try to hire masons more skilled then myself. I can alway be a hodcarrier though.  

Tim


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## masonryworks (Dec 24, 2009)

Awesome work guys


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