We’re installing some oversize windows and a french door in a wall with brick exterior. What works best to get a smooth finish on the cut? Cut with diamond blade in circ saw and finish with diamond cup wheel in grinder?
I was thinking of using a Makita beam saw with diamond blade on a wood shooting board attached to the wall with a few tapcons.
I have a 4″ wet grinder and 15 amp 7″ grinder, but have no experience with bricks.
As for the top and bottom of the openings, should bricks be set by a mason or is it possible to get good results if enough time is taken? Is the learning curve too high to be worth while?
The sides are fine with a smooth finish since it matches the original openings.
Am I aproaching this from the wrong direction and is it better to chip out the individual bricks, cut them on a tile saw and reinstall?
Anyone have a good book (or website) on working with bricks that might be useful?
Thanks
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn’t rule the world.
Replies
I've done this before 2 different ways.
I did not like the look of the side of the cut bricks. Nowhere near a match with the factory texture and finish.
Cutting the mortar joints, removing the affected bricks, and having a mason cut, set, and repoint them has yielded excellent results every time.
What did you use to cut the mortar joints?
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Try your 4" angle grinder with a diamond blade. There is also a double stack diamond blade the tuck pointers use that works well.
Layout your window location, then cut, chip, chisel, beat, and do most of the brick removal well inside the layout lines. Save as many undamaged brick as you can. Work from the top down and add a temporary steel angle iron at the top to support any brick that remains above as you are working. Add a correct lintel if needed durring the framing stage. Follow the major removal with toothing out the brick around the sides using the 4" angle grinder.
Cut in your window and door framing and install per normal remodeling, etc., then using the cleaned salvaged brick from the demo,cut and lay up the toothed out area at the sides.
If your lucky and can find matching brick new at the yard, it saves on the cleaning and salvage cost. Buying new by the strap (100 brick) is a little more expensive per unit than the thousand count, but still cheaper than the salvage and clean cost, plus you won't end up with several hundred extra brick.
I've done several jobs like you've described. Anything less than cutting and toothing back in looks less than professional IMHO.
Dave
Add a correct lintel if needed durring the framing stage.
Luckily, from a time and labor standpoint, the exterior soffit trim meets the top of the opening so there's no bricks on the top of the opening to contend with.
If there were a few rows of bricks overhead, what are the rules of thumb for lintels for openings that are fairly wide, such as for a 6' set of french doors?
Also, I can now see how having a smooth cut just doesn't look right. Some of the window openings were originally built with smooth sides and they just don't look right.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Sounds like a door opening at 6' wide.
If there are just a couple of courses of brick remaining above, it would would be easier to just take them out and reset them later. You are going to be adding a new header, jack and king studs in that wall anyway, so it is just a matter of lagging in an angle iron lintel. I like to set the door, then set the lintel as tight as possible to the door head. I buy then long and cut them to fit, making sure they lap each side at least one brick length.
I also find it easier to remove the frieze board above the opening before I lay everything back up. I'm just not good enough to butter and roll that top course up behind that board.
You will also need to go two course below the door, and either lay in a sill stone , cast one in place, or have one layed up with brick. I prefer precast, cause I'm not a mason, and it is a safer option for keeping water out of the threshold area for me. When I have to have one layed up with brick on edge, I hire a real mason. If I were doing more than one opening I would likely hire one anyway.
Dave
Thanks Dave. Looking around the neighborhood it's easy to see how what you've said translates into the real world.
Luckily our current project doesn't have any bricks left over above the doors or windows, but it did have me thinking about the day it will come up.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I agree with the others. Cutting isn't the answer unless the cut edges are going to be buried under trim or possibly paint. Sawtoothing and relaying the brick is the only way it will look normal.
Of course, if this is a budget job, you have to give the customer what they want. Then, your idea is probably best.
blue
"...
keep looking for customers who want to hire YOU.. all the rest are looking for commodities.. are you a commodity ?... if you get sucked into "free estimates" and "soliciting bids"... then you are a commodity... if your operation is set up to compete as a commodity, then have at it..... but be prepared to keep your margins low and your overhead high...."
From the best of TauntonU.
Of course, if this is a budget job, you have to give the customer what they want. Then, your idea is probably best.
It's not a budget job, but the clients are converting the house over from a 1960ish ranch to have a modern/contemporary feel so they think the smooth cut/ground edge would be better, but now I'm not convinced it would look right.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Or you cut the brick only to find out it's cored brick...uh-oh.
Toothing brick is great...matching the mortar....that's the real trick.
What they said. If you cut the brick, it's almost a certainty that you'll reveal the "cells" or "cores" in the inside of the brick.
Personally I'd try to clean the removed brick to use as the put-back. Matching can be difficult depending on the age and location of the building.Live in the solution, not the problem.
If you cut the brick, it's almost a certainty that you'll reveal the "cells" or "cores" in the inside of the brick.
Ok, now it feels like I've lived under a rock all these years. I hadn't thought of the cores. That alone makes the decision easy since the cut lines would intersect the cores.
So few houses have bricks in this region, especially the old ones or the new ones, that this is all new stuff for me. All these years I've just skipped over any information related to bricks since they didn't seem to apply.
Many thanks to all.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
That's what makes everyday an adventure for a remodeler. Just when you think you know enough, you find out you're just getting started--then they change the darn rules!!!Live in the solution, not the problem.
matching the mortar
I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Probably as hard as matching old stucco.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.