Opening in brick wall for new door.
I am just starting in the renovation business. I have a customer who wants me to cut thru an existing wall and put in a sliding glass door. I cannot find good information on how to do this job. I did find one FH article, but it still left me with questions.
Does anyone know where I can find information on how to do this task from start to finish?
I do have some specific questions to at least help me get the job quoted.
1) The short article that I read said to use a circ. saw with a masonry blade to cut the mortar joints out of the brick. How do you finish the cut since the masonry blade will not cut the full depth of the brick. I assume the brick is to be saved to fill back in around the door.
2) How do you support the brick while you work? The hole must be opened up to get a lintel behind the wall. What supports the brick until this is done?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Mark Childers
Replies
Mark,
Welcome to BT
Rent a masonry saw. Life will be much easier.
Chuck S
One technique you can use is a needle beam depending on the size of the opening, but even than I have used this method in a three story church, cinder block wall with multiple openings to be made. Anyway all you do is go several courses above the height of the lentil dead center and cut a hole big enough to insert a 12' long 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, steel beam or what ever is necessary for holding power and than pipe shore the ends of this beam. I pick 12' long to give you roughly 6' working room on each side of the wall.
This works because bricks act much like the key stone of a bridge and will support the load. As for the actual course of brick that will be on the lentil, do nothing. As long as the joints are in good shape they'll stay in place for the same reason. Ever tried to pull a brick strait out even if cut all the way on all sides? They don't just slip out and what is working for you on those overhead is that the first exposed course will really sag down if anything and lock themselves in place as an upside down arch.
While working around the opening before the lentil is in you can put a board and shore under the first row just as prevention of a lose brick on the head. As for the needle hole made above you'll have to tooth in the brick for replacement so your not matching cut haves of brick.
Now as for cutting deep enough, make all your cuts at least one brick smaller than what you will need and don't worry about being deep enough this is really only going to be score cut so the brick damage will stop at this point. Than just smash a hole in the middle of the to be opening, as the upper courses come out in pieces each row will become increasingly easier to remove as hole bricks if not a couple at a time without even being cut. Same these whole bricks for replacement on the sides you'll end up with more than enough.
Once all brick is removed up to your cuts you'll be able to get at both sides to cut all the necessary joints to correctly tooth out the bricks without over cuts and slip in the replacements when ready.
An additional method is to install a squeeze lentil but that's more work for a simple residential brick demo than needed. The short of it calls for an iron c channel on either side of the wall at lentil height with heavy rod inserted through the wall and channels and tightened to squeeze the brick into staying inplace.
Hi Mark,
Chuck will have much better advice than I can offer, but you might take a look at this new type of brick saw from Australia.
http://www.traditionalmasonry.com/All_Access/201/201-Product_Profile.cfm
Might be just what you are looking for. Don't know if you are able to rent them yet. But it's worth checking out.
And, welcome to Breaktime.
Best,
Steve