Sometimes, for various reasons, it is necessary to redesign the interior of an apartment or private house. This often involves creating a new doorway. “To break is not to build” - everyone is familiar with this proverb and regarding this situation one should understand how it is done correctly. Especially when it comes to brickwork. It is not difficult to knock them out and anyone can cope with such a task, but a number of rules must be followed. Someone might be happy about the crack that subsequently forms (to find out how to get rid of a crack in a brick wall, read the article here)? And there is a possibility that the top masonry will jam the door frame.
This video clearly demonstrates the approximate scope of work to be completed:
Step-by-step instructions on how to make an opening in a brick wall under a door with your own hands
When creating a brick doorway, it is important not only to consider its size and style, but also to take into account all the nuances associated with stone laying.
It can be done both at the stage of wall construction, and after laying the structure, by cutting out a hole. The structure is often transferred to the home for interior design purposes: if the walls are made of brick, there are features that should not be forgotten. Compliance with technology and competent execution of the work will allow you to make an opening according to all the rules.
If you are interested in how to make a doorway in a brick wall yourself, and how much this service costs from professionals, read this publication.
Preparation for work and necessary tools
Before you start punching through a doorway, take a close look at what's on top of you. If the wall is load-bearing, the load from the floor slabs must be transferred from the wall to something else.
The best solution here would be to use telescopic racks, which are used in the construction of monolithic buildings. They can be replaced with sub-products in the form of simple logs. They should not be supported on a clean floor, but on the ceiling.
To work you will need the following tools:
- hammer drill, preferably universal;
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine - optional;
- wrenches - optional;
- scissors for cutting reinforcement - optional.
If you have a large amount of work, it will be better to find a gas cutter with a large cutting depth - this will make your work easier. It is also a good idea to order a jackhammer with a compressor if you are not sure that your hammer drill can handle a large volume.
Masonry demolition work is very dusty, so it is a good idea to wear safety glasses and a dust mask.
Before starting work, make sure that there is no live electrical wiring in the wall. Therefore, it is better to completely knock down the plaster at the site of the new opening.
Masonry methods
The device should begin with determining the type of masonry, which can be:
- Lozhkova . The brick is laid with the spoon facing outwards.
- Chain.
- Cross . In the chain and cross cases, alternating masonry is used: one row is laid with a spoon facing outwards, the other - with a butt joint.
- Kolodtseva.
In this case, the masonry is carried out in two rows, forming a well-type structure. Its space is filled with gravel, slag or construction waste.
Types of bricks
Here it would be more appropriate to talk not only about brick, but also about ceramic stones. Their sizes are standardized.
So, the length of both bricks and stones is 250 mm, and the width is 120 mm. The difference between different types of bricks and ceramic stones is in height.
A single brick has a height of 65 mm, a widened one - 88, and a stone, colloquially called a double brick - 138 mm. Recently, other sizes of stones have become widespread, for example, hollow blocks, the masonry of which is carried out in a groove.
Masonry materials can be either solid or hollow. The former are used for laying particularly loaded areas - for example, pillars, as well as walls with ventilation and smoke ducts. The latter are preferred when laying external walls due to their greater thermal efficiency.
The materials for making bricks are clay and lime. Ceramic bricks are made from the first, and silicate bricks from the second.
Of the important characteristics of this material, two are worth noting. First of all, this is a brand that characterizes the compressive strength, and secondly, frost resistance, or the number of freezing and thawing cycles.
Work order
First of all, you need to decide where to organize additional space for entry and exit. It all starts with markup . You need to decide on the width of the hole, and then begin to determine its future location with a pencil. You need to measure the distance from the outer wall and make a mark - from here we begin to draw the outline of the future interior space.
A thick wall structure is being cut on both sides, so markings will be necessary on the reverse side as well.
For their exact match, it is necessary to drill several holes according to the pencil markings (Fig. 1). And then on the other side connect all the holes with a pencil line.
The above-described manipulations should be carried out using a building level, a triangle and a ruler.
Since we will create the space in the load-bearing wall of a brick house, it is necessary to take care of auxiliary partitions and lintels in advance (Fig. 2).
Strengthening the opening
Strengthening work takes the maximum amount of time, as it is carried out painstakingly. Organized empty space under a door or arch must be reinforced with channels . It is advisable to use a channel jumper with vertical posts. Channels are mounted on both sides, which are screwed into the previously installed wooden lintel using bolts (Fig. 4).
If the space in the wall structure is large, then it is reinforced not only in the upper part, but also on the sides (Fig. 5).
How to make a doorway in a brick wall?
The steps involved in punching an opening in a brick wall are different from cutting a concrete panel. The masonry consists of rows with bandaged seams. The top of the doorway should line up with the joint. You cannot cut bricks lengthwise. Such actions will weaken the tub and cracks will appear along the partition.
After applying the markings, they begin to strengthen the opening in the brick wall by inserting the upper lintel. A row of bricks is selected above the marked line. A lintel longer than the width of the passage is built into the void.
Further actions are aimed at cutting an opening in a brick wall with the selected tool. If the masonry can be disassembled, then it is wiser to pick out the bricks with a pry bar. The seams are drilled with an electric drill. Uneven protrusions at the ends of the doorway are leveled with a grinder.
Permits
If you have firmly decided to make any redevelopment of the walls, for example, cutting out an opening for a door, the very first step will be to obtain permission from the official authorities.
Any unauthorized intervention in the structure of an apartment building is a violation of the rules for the operation of residential premises. This may entail very serious sanctions - from a fine and bringing the premises back to their original condition to the eviction of residents from the occupied apartment by court order.
For permission to change the layout of housing, you should contact the local administration or management company. If your house is of cultural and historical value, then it will also be necessary to obtain an opinion from expert architects on the admissibility of intervention in the structure of the building.
General requirements for constructing doorways
When designing an opening for a new door, it is important to follow some rules. Even if a non-standard design solution is used, the basic parameters of building regulations must be taken into account. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the brick wall will not withstand the load after the changes have been made and will crack, jam the door frame or, in the worst case scenario, simply fall apart. In addition, it is unlikely that it will be possible to legalize the redevelopment of an apartment where doorways do not comply with building codes. And this will entail serious difficulties if this apartment needs to be sold.
There are the following rules when designing doorways:
- The height of the opening is most often 200–210 cm. It is possible to make it higher, but this is hardly advisable: there are no standard doors of this size on sale, and the lintel above the opening may be too thin.
- The maximum width of the opening depends on the type of wall and the floor on which the apartment is located. The lower the floor, the narrower the door can be made. So, for apartments on the ground floor, the opening in a brick wall, if it is load-bearing, cannot be wider than 90 cm.
- Cutting a door hole in a wall invariably leads to a partial loss of the latter's strength. This loss must be compensated somehow, so the wall is strengthened by redistributing the load on it. To do this, a reinforcing lintel made of wood or reinforced concrete must be erected over the opening.
To evenly distribute the load, it is better to make the doorway as close to the center of the wall as possible.
Finishing and strengthening
After the installation of a doorway in a brick wall is completed, it is important to securely fasten the structure. For these purposes, channels and metal corners are used, which are attached to the wall with bolts. It is important to carry out this work efficiently, otherwise the resulting span will not withstand the load and will begin to sag, which is unsafe for the life and health of the residents of the house or apartment.
The finishing of doorways in interior partitions is carried out taking into account the variety of the new design; the interior of the room also plays an important role. If desired, the passage can be decorated with decorative finishing material; brown facing bricks look beautiful, the installation technology of which is simple. The front door must be finished with insulation. The door itself can be covered with wood, leatherette, plastic panels, clapboard, veneer, or simply painted. The design of the window opening can also be varied. Decorative plaster, MDF panels and even laminate are often used.
Technology for punching doorways in different types of walls
There is a plinth at the bottom of the wall. If it does not come off after a couple of blows with a hammer, then there is no need to touch it: it is laid on a concrete screed and secured in it. This plinth will move away from the wall on its own after the bricks are destroyed.
Next, you need to try to make an approximate calculation of the thickness of the wall, analyzing the type of masonry. Regardless of the result obtained, the dismantling of bricks begins from the middle part of the future opening. That is, from the middle of the marking.
The construction of an opening in walls of any type and any thickness begins with punching the middle in the shape of the letter “T”, the horizontal part of which must correspond to the upper marking line and extend 10-15 cm beyond its vertical edges. These gaps will allow a beam to be placed in them to support the masonry.
For load-bearing walls, this should be a strong concrete or wooden sheet of such thickness that it fits almost flush into the horizontal part of the T-shaped space. For non-load-bearing and semi-load-bearing walls, an ordinary board will be sufficient.
- remove or knock out bricks, moving towards the vertical marking lines;
- a disc with a diameter of 200-250 mm coated with diamond is installed on a powerful grinder;
- Using this tool we make the top and side cuts of the opening even.
Advice from professionals
The greatest difficulty is in removing the first brick. If it is not possible to knock it out, it must be cut out. You will need a grinder with a stone circle. Deep slits are made in the masonry, after which the mortar is destroyed using a chisel and hammer.
If it is difficult to make slits, holes are drilled in the seams using a hammer drill.
This is how the first brick is excavated. Further work is quite simple, but labor-intensive.
Knowledge required to complete the task
At first glance, making an opening will not be difficult. This is true, but the job needs to be done right. Otherwise, the risk of cracks forming in the wall, masonry distortion and the upper part of the door becoming jammed increases. Therefore, you need to know how to make an opening in a load-bearing wall, as well as in a non-load-bearing and semi-load-bearing one.
First of all, you need to find out what type of masonry was used in the construction of the structure. To do this, you need to know what the edges of the brick are called and how these stones are laid for each type of masonry. This will help identify the type of dressing and determine the approximate thickness of the wall.
Before directly punching the opening, it is necessary to install: A and B – beams; B – telescopic future opening; G – jumper.
A brick has 4 sides: the largest side is called “bed”, the long side is called “spoon”, and the short side is called “poke”. The type of masonry in the wall of a brick house can be determined as follows:
- If, after removing a layer of plaster, rows of spoons are found, and the wall is interior, its thickness does not exceed 12 cm.
- In the event that the spoon in a row alternates with a poke, the masonry will be double-row, and the thickness of such a wall will be 25 cm.
- If rows of spoons alternate with rows of pokes, this is well masonry. It is often used in the construction of load-bearing walls.
How to make a window opening
An opening in a brick wall for a window is made much less frequently than doorways.
But if such a situation arises, strict requirements must be followed. Window openings are made in the load-bearing walls of the building, so the main attention in this process is paid to the lintel. It is she who will take on the entire load of the wall above the cut opening.
When choosing a jumper, it is important to take into account the following points:
- What type of masonry was used in the construction of the building.
- What is the width of the wall in which the opening is supposed to be made.
- Estimated window width.
- Distance from the opening to the ceiling and to the floor.
- On what floor is the work expected to be carried out?
The process of punching a window opening in a brick wall is similar to working with a doorway. You can use the following algorithm:
Markings are made on the outside of the building.- Holes are punched for the lintel, which can be used as a hot-rolled steel profile or reinforced concrete beams.
- An intermediate support is installed. It will help distribute the load of the wall during work. To do this, lay a wooden beam and make holes in it for the studs, which should protrude from both sides.
- Next, the beam is supported by intermediate supports. All structural elements are fixed using nails.
- The wall is dismantled in the required area. It is important to start removing the brick from top to bottom.
- Space is cleared for the lintel and the beam is mounted.
- At the same time, the window opening is being disassembled on both sides and the edges are aligned.
You can use a grinder for these purposes. Before making an opening in a brick wall, you need to make sure that there are no communications in this area. If you have such elements, you should think about moving them to another place. It is also necessary to pay attention to the existing ventilation shafts, the distance to which should be at least 300 cm.
Types of walls
There are two main types, the features of which are presented in the table:
| View | Peculiarities |
| The carrier is loaded from above. | Usually these are external. They may be shared with neighboring apartments. The walls face the landing. The floor slabs rest on them with their smaller end. The thickness of such a wall is more than 380 millimeters. |
| Non-load-bearing – does not bear any special loads. | Usually these are partitions that are loaded only with their own weight |
Design features
Before making an opening, you need to find out more about it.
Define:
- Is there hidden wiring inside the structure?
Checking the presence of wires
- Availability of pipes and fittings.
Heating pipes
- Is there a chimney, and in what specific location is it located?
Chimney
Such information cannot be obtained through a regular inspection; a metal detector must be used.
Tip: The detection of any obstacles does not mean that a passage cannot be made in the wall. In this case, it is necessary to properly prepare for the work.
To fix problems when doing it yourself, you need to:
- Move electrical wiring to another location.
- Step back from the chimney at least three meters.
- To move the pipes, you need to invite a specialist.
