The barrel vault, by definition, is an arch that gets repeated over and over to form a ceiling.

You can find them in the Roman baths at Cluny in Paris and The Cloisters in New York City. What are they? Barrel vaults, of course. 
Still not clear on the definition? Okay, let’s delve a little deeper. 

Barrel vault definition: The barrel vault is essentially an arch that gets repeated over and over to form a ceiling. Have you ever seen an arched entryway? Imagine if that arch was duplicated, so it encompassed the entire room. That, in essence, is the barrel vault definition.

The barrel vault name: To understand the barrel vault definition, let’s look at the name. Why is it called a “barrel” vault? Well, because it looks like half of a barrel. If you’ve ever visited The Cloisters, you probably understand the concept. While all barrel vaulted ceilings give you the feeling of being inside a barrel, the one at The Cloisters is actually made of exposed wood, which looks an awful lot like a barrel. They don’t all have to be like this, though. Many barrel vaults are dry walled, so they are completely smooth.

History of the barrel vault: We have evidence that shows that some of the first barrel vaults were crafted by the ancient Egyptians, but it didn’t seem to be a popular ceiling at that point. They were built of sun-dried brick and spanned only two meters. Instead of being used where people could appreciate their curved appeal, they were almost always used for drains and sewers. It wasn’t until the barrel vaults made their way to Ancient Rome that they were used for more large-scale projects, but even then, it was short lived. The barrel vault was soon replaced with the groin vault, which is more complicated in construction and appearance. The barrel vault saw a huge resurgence in the Romanesque and Baroque periods.

Famous barrel vaults: These simple arched ceilings make a serious impact. That’s probably why they can be found in some seriously high profile places. Just tilt your head and look up the next time you’re at the Sistine Chapel or Vatican Grotto in Vatican City, or the Cathedral of Cortona in Tuscany, or Beverston Castle in England; well, you get the picture. The barrel vault definition may be a simple one, but when these arches are installed, they make a huge impact.

So, by now you should be intimately familiar with the barrel vault definition. You can picture them in some of the historic landmarks you’ve visited within your lifetime. Now, it’s time to picture a barrel vault in your own home.

The Barrel Vault Definition

How to Get Started with Arch Building

Many years ago, before Archways Made Easy hit the scene, the process of building custom arches was a chore. If a job required anything more than one or two archways, it would not only be extremely time consuming, but the job would also end up being crazy expensive. After all, time is money, right?

Because we’ve simplified what can be an overwhelming endeavor, we’ve become the go-to source for just about everyone’s arch building needs. So, let’s just say we’ve had a lot of experience with arch building. We’re often asked for advice about the whys and hows of adding arches to a home. So, here’s a handy guide that should help you navigate the curvy world of arch building.

Why Build Arches?

That’s a good question, but we often ask “why not?” Okay, so maybe you want some sharp edges in the home. We won’t go creating arches willy-nilly, but keep in mind that they add a custom feel and an air of opulence to any structure. Arches break up the monotony of a boring square room, adding texture and interest to an atmosphere that was otherwise flat. So, instead of asking yourself why, maybe you should start focusing on the more appropriate question about arch building: How.


How to Get Started with Arch Building

If you’re a new contractor, congratulations on a fine career choice and welcome to the club. We like to say that there are two ways to build arches. There’s the easy way and there’s the hard way. Which would you prefer? If you chose the path of least resistance, we can definitely help. If you chose the other path, well, you’re on your own (sorry!).


Okay, so down to business – the easy way. You first have to determine where you want to start arch building. Maybe it’s at the main point of entry to a new home, or maybe it’s to add interest to the walls in a major remodel. Once you have your space figured out, measure it. Then, measure it again. Send us your desired arch measurements, we’ll need height, width and rise, and we’ll do the arch building for you. That’s right: We do the arch building, so you don’t have to.


After we start the arch building process, you’re well on your way to making a major impact in your chosen space. We’ll deliver the arch along with some step-by-step instructions, and you’re ready to install. It’s as simple as that. You’ve just added arch building to your portfolio.

Gothic Groin Vaults

Framing a gothic vault can be extremely difficult and time consuming. So how do you simplify this process? Simple, contact Archways & Ceilings Made Easy. We specialize in making custom arched ceiling kits to your measurements. We take your design and measurements then bend to your desired curved shape. We then box it up in a kit and ship to your job site.

For example, we recently had the opportunity to work with Kennedy Construction on creating a series of half gothic groin vault kits for his new home construction project out in California. He sent us the measurements and we prefabricated the groin vault kit for him. About a week later he got the kit and installed them. That's it! That's how easy it is! Take a look.

Design with a beautiful Cove Ceiling in mind

Are you looking to add a simple architectural detail to your home? Tired of boring boxed out tray ceilings? Or limited on your ceiling height to add a fancy ceiling? Well, the answer to this equation is simple, add a cove ceiling. Cove ceilings are elegant and an architectural feature that will have your home owners saying “WOW!”

I know, I know. Some of you are wondering how to build a cove ceiling and how much it will cost to add. The answer is easy. With the cove ceiling kit from Archways and Ceilings you can build a cove ceiling affordably and quickly. For example a 12’ x 12’ room would only cost $215.75 and take less then an hour to install.

Take a look at the picture on the right. This particular builder had a client that wanted to add a little more pizzazz to their guest bedroom so we went with a cove ceiling. The finished product speaks for itself.

Now that is a guest bedroom I would love to stay in!

A Playhouse for Charity: Arched Ceiling for American Airlines Center

Recently we were approached to donate a groin vault ceiling for a playhouse that would be raffled off for charity.The charity was for Dallas Casa; to aid abused & neglected children (www.DallasCasa.org). Our project was one of a kind. We were delegated the task to replicate the roof & ceiling of the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks & Dallas Stars.

I immediately thought, "How can anyone pass up this exciting opportunity?" So we jumped right on in and started construction. The tricky part to this project was designing the groin vault roof and interior groin vault ceiling because we had to literally create two groin vaults that would sit on top of one another. The reason we built the ceiling and roof this way was to insure we could add adequate support for the roof. After we were all finished, the builder along with Sign Grafx finished out the playhouse beautifully. The American Airlines Center playhouse is one of a kind and will make any child feel as if he was sitting court side at a Mavericks game.

For more information about Archways & Ceilings Made Easy Click Here!

Watch How to Drywall a Barrel Vault Ceiling

The infamous barrel vault ceiling is an architectural gem that looks great an any home. The barrel vault ceiling can easily be constructed using the barrel vault ceiling kit from Archways And Ceilings Made Easy, but the big question you may have is how to drywall this particular ceiling. Easy question and easy answer! We have created an instructional video that demonstrates how to properly drywall a barrel vault ceiling. Take a look below!

For more information on barrel vault ceilings please visit Archways And Ceilings Made Easy barrel vault ceilings page. Click Here

Watch How to Drywall a Coved Ceiling

A great architectural detail that can be added to any home is a cove ceiling. But the question you may have is how do you drywall a coved ceiling? Simple, we have created an instructional video demonstrating how to properly drywall a cove ceiling that will give you the knowledge to conquer your next coved ceiling. For more information on coved ceilings, visit Archways And Ceilings Made Easy cove ceiling page. Click Here