Could you use plastic render beads and cut them like the skim arch beads,?
You could set them in with render and use nails too as long as you keep it square allowing a coat of render both sides of the bead as you would normally do.Yea did think about doing that but wasn't sure as never done it, if been done before that's a option
It can look better, depends on a few things ..but beads set on properly makes it job done but each idea has merit equallyIf the arch is well formed by the bricklayer the beads should work out handy enough for you , but an arch cut out of ply is fool proof really if the bricks are off . Nail it up and bring a lat down either side of it , plaster the inside of it and the next day strip the timber , tidy the arras up wit a stanley and finish the rest of the gable working it into the arras . I think the corner looks way better without the beads but everyone is different
Its hard to give proper advice without actually seeing the job.
Same goes with describing how to do them.
an arch in render is a bog standard thing.
You sure have attention to detail: even a do not cross line on the end of the wall![]()
Free hand over brickwork ?.
The way to deal with this depends on how tight the curve of the arch is. I've fitted beads round some fairly tight curves but have tackled others where I couldn't get an acceptable shape using a bead.
The arch is huge 3m wide and 1.5 high from start of bend to top of arch. If that makes sense?
I would tie a piece of string to a pencil and to a fixed point on the ground, let string out to desired radius 1.5m in this case, spin radius with pencil marking my cut on 3mm ply or hardboard, cut out with jig saw, carefully nail to finished face and form reveal/soffit, remove template and make good if required. Just as @malc described.
@malc got any pics marrai would use hardboard to form an arch. do the face first then the reveal ,after the face has gone hard enough to drop the hardboard .make sure you put some packing behind the hardboard so that you can finish the reveal to the arris without showing a joint.
we have just finished a wreck house for english heritage that had 6 arches on each wall and this was the method we used.
@malc got any pics marra
I've used plastic stop beads in the past for a quick job or if the render is to be painted. But for a proper job I've always taken my time and cut a ply template and do the reveals first take the template away and do the face. I've managed to do it in one visit being careful.
you can buy plastic flexi beads for exactly that type of job
you say one visit. My question is whats best do reveal and match face in on same day or leave to dry and match in following day.
In my experience day after is difficult to match in cause of shrinkage.