How to add windows to a all brick house
montani1970
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I’ve got a older brick home, a real brick home, the walls are double thick, over 12″ thick in someplaces. I really want to add a couple of windows to the kitchen that I am remodeling, but I have no idea how to go about it. I’ve done this type of work in typical stick-framed houses, but never in an all brick wall, let alone an outside structural wall. Any help on how to do this or resources on how-to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Replies
You have to either saw or knock a hole in the wall, then fit a steel beam across the top for support. The trick is getting the beam in before the house falls down.
This kindof sidetracks from the thread topic....I've been a long-time subscriber and have yet to come across this being addressed to my satisfaction in an issue of Fine Homebuilding, including a thorough writeup on selecting and installing replacment windows in brick-veneered homes.All, or almost all window related articles have used clapboard sided houses.I had my hopes up for such an article at one point but I've given up.Sorry about the rant.
I was hoping that this was not the case, but it is what I was guessing. I think I will begin removing the brick from the inside and slowly begin "backfilling" with the steel beam. I plan on using a large peice of angle iron, 1/4" thickness.
Any other replys would be welcome. As I too have waited and even searched through the FHB index for such am article.
montani,
I've only done this a few times and every one was different. Mark your rough opening on the brick inside and out, then doublecheck. Cut out the mortar joint just above the RO and 3" wider on each side. Insert a 3/8" x3x4 or larger angle iron on both sides. Then start removing brick. You can leg down from the center of the angle if you need more support. Remove the bricks, header up and remove angle and repoint.
KK
Did the same with a BIG opening for a patio door in my brick veneer place. Brick veneer's easier in one sense (because the brick is tied to the sheathing which lends it some measure of support), but harder in another way- to fit a properly sized piece of angle iron into the joint, you need to cut away most of the joint, whereas in double brick construction you leave more than half the total mortar in place after the first cut, and you have the 1st piece of angle in there before the 2nd cut.
In my case I cut out the mortar joint and put in a piece of angle iron in excess of what code required in my area (a 3x6" x3/8" in my case if I remember correctly). The brick did arch to support the load over the missing mortar, but not forever- I cut the mortar joint generously and got that steel in there fast. In my case, the steel slipped into the joint nicely at 5 pm, but by the next morning it wouldn't budge. I fastened it to the brick with tapcons prior to sawing the hole and knocking out the bricks to form the new opening.
As important as the lentil is so is your sill.use water and ice shield on inside brick then stone sill.Might want to use a few rope wicks on outside brick.
All the info is great, but does anyone know of a good text resource? I think I am pretty clear on what I am going to do thanks to everyone's help, but more info is always better.