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load bearing opening

23K views 116 replies 18 participants last post by  superseal 
#1 ·
You'll all be happy I'm not working heights on this one :laughing:...

Neighbor has been at me to install his new patio door since October 2011 and I'm finally finding time on the schedule to get it done.

Basically need a 6'0" x 6'8" opening created through a solid masonry house to accommodate the install.

Got a late start this morning and the 60 mph gusts we had today made for an interesting dust storm :rolleyes:

Anyway, I'll keep you updated with the lintel installation and such as I progress through this.

On the docket today...Layout; removal of 2 sheets of heavily glued
80's interior paneling to expose the furred out drywall; saw-cut perimeter; primed up two lintels and started brick removal.
 

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#3 ·
Got about half of the brick out today and I'm salvaging these puppies...
Hard to match the size and patina of these bricks in new and I'm always doing patch jobs around the neighborhood anyway.

Suckers vary from 8 1/4" to 8 3/4" and there hard to come by when you need them...Red clay, 70 years old and as good as the day they were laid... these are keepers :thumbup:
 

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#6 ·
superseal said:
Actually no supports at all on this one...Flemish bond every seventh course acts as the tie so I'll just wrap up the brick wythe first, then hack out the block.
Well thats nice. They don't lay them like that anymore do they? I should have noticed from the pictures of the middle row removed.
 
#7 ·
MF Custom said:
Sorry for not knowing but whats a needle board?
I am sure the term varies by region but here it refers to large boards or beams which are through bolted together in an appropriate pattern to temporarily carry load while a header or lintel can be installed during brick or block alterations.
 
#20 ·
Be good if you could knock some up, look at the price of them.
http://www.scaffoldsupplies.co.uk/products/details/1356.html
The only real disadvantage with them is that the props are closer to the wall and gives you less room if you have to get a heavy steel in.

Interesting thread for me to see a different method of doing the job.
Like the way you flashed it with copper.

Our lintels nowadays are made in one piece to do both walls and form the flashing, but one that size is about $150.
The first on is an older one with no insulation.

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Photography Ceiling


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#13 ·
Still chipping away at the brick removal and it's real work trying to save this brick.

For those non masons who hang out here -this is how they use to tie brick to block wythes together - full headers in Flemish bond every seventh course does the trick.

Can't believe my boots are gettin' dirty - gonna need some extra fancy beef tallow after this one for sure :whistling
 

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#15 ·
I probably salvaged about 200 brick for future patchwork in the neighborhood and somebody will be happy down the road. Lot's of people around here put A/C units through the wall before central air was common and are always looking to get them bricked up again. Nice to know I got a few that'll match :thumbsup:

Lintel is going in next after I chop out the key-way... And even though this is under a porch roof, I gonna flash and weep the lintel anyway.
 

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#19 ·
I rarely buy new brick when doing these - plenty of field brick available when you knocking out openings and surely enough to get you through the job.

I will however charge a premium to the next guy who wants these brick for a match and rightfully so... I did clean and house them and that alone warrants the premium :thumbsup:
 
#18 · (Edited)
Just using copper laminate for this one - easy to retro-fit and should do the job. Ends dams got rolled up and I'll trim the excess later.

These are the days I wish I was a plumber :laughing:
 

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#21 ·
$150, that's nothing. I was putting a passageway through a stone wall and the engineer speced 2 H beams with a peice of 3/16" sheet steel welded across the bottom to hold non shrink grout and also to act as a brick/stone ledge. Called a local steel guy and ordered it without asking the price. Ended up costing $750. Luckily it was a time and material project.

And superseal, i was wondering more about when you sell the salvaged brick to the next customer. I usually sell the reclaims higher than new and have had people get real angry about it.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Thanks for those pics Stu...I've seen those lintels online and seems it's always a UK adresss.

I'm just using 4x4x1/4" angles on this one...picked them up for 55.00 each and primed them up.

Got the brick laid in today and decided I better throw a wall up on the interior. Only one flemish course above before the floor joist tie in and the customer has some heavy furniture up above. Better safe than sorry I suppose. No matter, I just used the wall to poly off the interior dust so i'm knocking off two birds at once.

On the docket today...set exterior brick and weeps, cut and laid a few slivers to fit into jambs where some big head joints were, erection of the interior floor joist support/dust control wall and rip and remove drywall and 1x2 furring.
 

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#23 · (Edited)
huh, that's interesting. Is it all brick for the last 8"? And I just realised, these are honest to goodness "cinder" block aren't they?
And i really like your weep holes. Some folk around here insist on making them the full head joint. i can't stand or understand it. Make them as small and unobtrusive as far as I'm concerned

I've never seen this type of construction before. It's kinda neat.
 
#25 ·
huh, that's interesting. Is it all brick for the last 8"? And I just realised, these are honest to goodness "cinder" block aren't they?
And i really like your weep holes. Some folk around here insist on making them the full head joint. i can't stand or understand it. Make them as small and unobtrusive as far as I'm concerned

I've never seen this type of construction before. It's kinda neat.
Yep, cinder for sure...I think there 18's too if I'm not mistaken.

I think the reason for the solid brick area is thats were the 2nd floor joist tuck into and maybe they wanted a more solid bearing area. Don't know for sure, but I've seen this before.

I got some old pics from a friend when these places were being built in the 40's...I'll post a few :thumbsup:
 
#24 ·
Since the varied size of brick on these homes makes running bond a bit off vertically, your bound to end up with some deficiencies along the cut line. I had about five areas that fell on large head joints that just popped off when removing the brick.

Small slivers of brick were cut to fit in and even though it looks like chit now, it' will blend in when I'm done. Most of the jamb will be fitted out with trim at the end so only a small reveal will be exposed.

The whole house needs a good cleaning and re-pointing BTW so I'm only paying attention to the door are for now. When I mentioned it to the owner he says, "thinkin' of doing it myself".

I said, "cool, just let me know when you give up on that thought" :laughing:

Check out the front wall of this place :thumbup:
 

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#28 ·
Just a mix of Capes and Colonials in the neighborhood mostly built from 1942 thru 1945.

Original price...around 5K :blink::laughing:

Here's a few shots from the local historian friend of mine.

I have one of the colonials myself actually...
 

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#30 ·
Spent most of today installing the interior lintel and it's tight, dusty work conditions.

Furniture has been moved to one side of this converted garage, 10 x 20room and I've got plastic up everywhere.

Sure wish this opening was installed when they converted the garage in the eighties - would have been so much easier to do then with simple access and not much dust worries.

Anyway here's an update...
 

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#31 ·
In terms of flashing the interior lintel, I just rolled additional copper over the front lintel and tucked it into the top bed joint.

Don't really expect water on this lintel being under a roof, but as you can see, It's been here before (ceiling stain).

Customer told me the roofer didn't flashing the patio roof correctly and during Hurricane Floyd the stain appeared.

New flashing was saw cut in to correct the problem so hes says, but I'm gonna look anyway.
 

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#38 ·
Dang boots were lookin' nasty yesterday...had to give them a lil' juice last night for the upcoming weekend and church on Sunday :laughing:

And, don't forget to moist cure your patchwork - a little spritz here an there is all it takes.

Anyway, after spending the last couple of days feeling like I was breaking out of Alcatraz, I've got the block down and I'm grouting the perimeter cores to transfer the load.

Customer is pretty happy thus far and noticed how much natural light this door is gonna let in... really changes the whole mood of the room that's for sure :thumbup:

In order to clean break the block, I've scored the exterior side with an
8" grinder/(diamond blade) and poked 1/8" holes through the interior portion 1" O.C. with the trusty US1 rotary hammer. All you have to do now is connect the dots with a thin brick chisel and she'll come out fairly clean.
 

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