I did a search but didn’t find a situation similar enough to answer my questions. Need to cut an opening in a brick veneer wall, single story house for a 4 ft window. I’m pretty sure I can handle the layout, cutting, etc but I need advice on installing the lintel. If I cut out a horizontal mortar joint, how far do I extend each end past the rough opening? Let’s say it’s 6 inches, so the cut is 5 ft wide. Single story house is going to have about 2 ft of brick above the window. Will the brick stay up for the 2 hours that it takes to get the steel in place? Yeah, yeah, 2 hrs is a long time for one lintel, but things happen…
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Veneer wall with good mortar
Probably.
Excellence is its own reward!
Depends on the quality of the brick, mortar etc... The way I do this is from the inside. Since the openning has to be reframed any way, I strip the inside, leave the brick intact, slide the lintel in and then remove the brick below it. Make sure you shore up the ceilling joists before you cut the studs, sometimes the joists run differently then what you might think. As far as the brick falling, 2 ' of brick over 4' openning, around here that will fall but around here the brick is all 50-100 yrs old, starting to do some pretty decent laying these days.
Here is a great trick I figured out years ago. I inherited a subdivision as construction manager that has some really shoddy bricklaying. Seems the brick walls were inclined to move to and from the wall if pushed. The problem was lack of the appropriate number and gauge of wall ties. The company didn't want to have to tear down all those walls and rebrick, so rather than tell the homeowners we wouldn't do anything, I decided to drill holes in the motar joints on regular intervals and inject foam(Great Stuff) with the plastic nozzle. Just a squirt. Let me tell you, that firmed up those walls like gangbusters. The homeowners were happy. The company was happy. I got the problem solved in a novel way and wasn't even thanked nor compensated with a bonus for my creativity. Those chickenf#%@ers!!!!!!!!! Any way, that's the idea for your brick. Drill holes and foam around the area you will cut and the header. It should allow you to cut or break out the brick without a problem............................Maybe!
So what happens? Does the foam bond the brick to the sheathing and to other brick? Since I'll be working from the inside, I can fill all around the opening wioth foam if need be.
New question...would a bunch of foam adversly affect the wall in some way? Moisture transmission, expansion/contraction, moisture drainage, hell I don't know, but if I don't ask, I fear the worst.
Also, what's the rule of thumb for the bearing length of the lintle?
Yes, the foam bonds the brick to the sheathing very well.Yeah, that sounds good, fill the gap behind the brick and let it set up ,and get busy. I can see no adverse effects from the foam in the future. As long as the brick is properly caulked to the windows/doors etc against blowing rain,and no water is trapped, I see no problems. For that matter, you could dig out the foam if you were worried, but I wouldn't bother. BTW, I'm talking about the regular polyurethane product as opposed to the newer latex product. Can't vouch for that in this application although it may be just fine. I dunno. Now as for the lintel business; I always use 3x3 angle iron for windows and doors up to 6'. Over that I ask the supply store for something bigger. I apologize but I have no formula. I'm sure there are masons far more savy than I around that have that 411. Good luck!!
Brick veneer construction relies on the cavity to reduce the possibility of water entering your home. You bridge that gap with foam or any other material and you are asking for damp problems.Quittintime
Mark, go to bed. Look at the time! I have an excuse. I'm at work..............However, agreed and noted. Being a one story house, I assumed an eave above the window and the sheathing is water resistant. The area above the window should not see water from rain and gravity should assit on the sides. The only problem might be below the window if not effectively caulked against the sill and if water is retained against the wall. The larger problem I see will be flashing the window properly with the brick abutting the frame and extending plastic under the rolok I assume he'll replace.