Building a Barrel Vault with an Igloo

Most of you are probably already confused by the title of this blog. "A barrel vault with an igloo??? What in the world is that??" Well the best way to describe this architectural gem is to compare it to a home of an Eskimo. Yep… I said an Eskimo home. See the picture to the left, the opening of the Eskimo’s home barrels into another curve, so we call this an igloo. Don’t confuse this with a groin vault. A groin vault’s definition is two intersecting barrel vaults that pass through one another at the same height. An igloo is formed by two barrels intersecting at two different heights.

Now with the igloo definition out of the way, let’s get to my story. I received an email from a builder this afternoon who was ecstatic about the igloo he had is framer install using www.archwaysandceilings.com . He was happy to see such a tricky ceiling completed in a quick timely manner, and not to mention with a real affordable cost. Everything was precut and shipped to the jobsite ready to install in less than 5 days.

Errrrrrr……….REWIND….

The builder gave us strict instructions that he would like the barrel to match the radius of the door he had ordered, and that he would like it to intersect it with archways on either side. Besides getting the measurements for us, that was all he needed to tell us. We then manufactured the product, supplied a 2D Cad illustrating the layout of the arched pieces and shipped it. Builder received the product and “BAM” ceiling was done! It is nice to say that we have another satisfied customer

Check out these Before and After pictures of a completed Igloo:

Door arches, Entry arches, Archways

Door Arches, Entry Arches, Archways, interior arches, soft arches, eyebrow arches, elliptical arches, half-round arches, half-circle arches, radius arches and so on are some of the common names I hear on a day to day basis referring to the simple term of an arched opening in a home or commercial project. Building an archway isn't just for the pro's anymore. Anyone can build an archway when using www.archwaysandceilings.com . This means DIYers ("do it yourselfers"), remodelers, framers, contractors, drywall suppliers, manufactured homebuilders, professional builders, finishers, and anyone who can use a nail gun. Archways and Ceilings offers affordable products that simplify the construction of curved framing. When is the last time you could build an archway for a 3'-0" opening for less than $18 and have it completed in less than 3 minutes? yep never...

Here are some examples of the different door aches, entry arches, interior arches or what I like to just plain call archways we have to offer here at http://www.archwaysandceilings.com/.

Soft Arches
Soft arches, also known as an eyebrow or a segmented arch, derive their name from the fact that they are a segment of a circle. This arch style provides a way to soften the defined lines of a flat drywall opening. They are popular due to the fact that they work very well with low and high header heights.

Half-Circle Arches

Half-circle arches, as the name implies, are half of a circle. This style of arch is often associated with bringing a warm Tuscan feel to a home.

Ellitpical Arches

Elliptical arches have a gentle radius in the center with a tighter radius in the corners. This style of arch is a cross between the soft and half-circle arch, and is often used on larger openings in which a half-circle arch would drop too far. This style, like the half-circle, is associated with bringing a warm Tuscan feel to a home.

Still don't believe me! Watch me as I install an archway in seconds!