Hi everybody, I do a lot of remodelling around here but mostly its wood frame with brick veneer.
I need to open a first floor wall in a two story building, the opening is 6′ x 7′, the wall runs is perpendicular to the joists, the wall is a solid brick wall. Usually when I open a wall I support the joists, frame the opening, put a steel “L” to hold the brick .
How do you do this in a wall that is two courses of brick thick?
Any helpful input is appreciated, Thanks Patrick of Montreal
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Replies
First you have to prove you live in Montreal.
Which is the best smoked meat joint in Montreal?
Ben's or S____________
BTW, I need a little more info than you are providing. A picture would be nice but a scaled sketch with the openning marked on it would do.
Normally, you would quickcut a slice to slip in the angle iron first with a 16" extension on both ends for supporting the angle once the brick is removed.
Do the same on the inside. Use 2 angles with predrilled holes in the faces and once you slip em into the cut openning you drill a hole through the brick and bolt the two halves together making a U channel for your new header.
Gabe
Thanks for the quick reply.
Schwartz's
16" of steel on both sides of the bay window. On the inside it will be hidden but on the outside that's going to be a littlle rough looking.
What I was hoping to hear was that I could somehow do like we do with the brick veneer over windows, have the tall side of the "L" tucked between the two walls. This involves taking out and putting back some brick but it is prettier.
How about I put a temporary "L" in, two courses up. Remove enough brick to access and slide the pemanent "L" in so that the high side of the "L" is tucked behind the brick?
I liked the way in your method the "U" formed by the 2 "L"s held the wall together. If I use my method there won't be anything apposing lateral forces, but also there won"t be any lateral forces to speak of.
Okay, you're the real thing with good taste.
Is there a space between the two layers of brick or are they interlocked into one structural element?
Is there as much vertical brick over the area that you're going to cut open as there is width of openning? In other words, is there enough brick over the proposed openning to have a pyramid effect structurally? If there is, you can remove enough of the interior brick to allow you to slip in an angle from the inside, as long as you install a temporary beam under the floor while you work.
Sure would like a picture so that I could get a feel for it first.
If you have no picture, a smoked meat will do.
Gabe
Save yourself the trouble of trying to install a steel angle lintel as temporary shoring. Definitely a pain. With a 6' wide opening you can get away with installing a single needle beam to support both inner and outer wythes of the brick. The needle beam can be a steel "I", but usually we use PT 6x6 material for both the needle and the support posts. The needle is installed in a hole cut clear through the brick wall. The hole is centered over the new opening at the lowest elevation possible that is needed to get the needle in and also clear your permanent support lintels. We try to select needles 8' in length or less, with minimal knots for best strength. The needles are supported by 6x6's which transfer the load to a solid bearing point capable of carrying the load. The beams are installed, the old brick is removed, the new lintels are installed, then the bricks are relayed. After everything sets up overnight, the needles are removed and the needle holes are repaired.
carpenter in transition
You're right, that sounds a lot easier.
How do you decide how much to preload it? Jack it up till something cracks and then back off 50 thousandths? :)
Edited 1/16/2003 2:20:59 AM ET by Uncle Dunc
50 thousandths ??? We leave the feeler gauges at home for this one.
We set our support posts (cut about a 1/2" short) on a broader bearing surface such as a combination of 2x12 blocks and plywood squares and then use wooden wedges to snug the beam against the masonry. We drive the wedges until they won't go any further and then we nail them and the post with duplex. Everything gets cross braced so that it doesn't get knocked over during demo. Depending on the size of the opening and the load, we space our needles from 4' to 6' apart.
carpenter in transition
It was a joke. I once heard that the way you can tell you have enough torque on a threaded pipe joint is to tighten it till the fitting cracks and back off a quarter of a turn.
The question wasn't a joke though. I figured you had to have some preload and just wondered how you did it. I appreciate the info.
here's a rough sketch of what I mean, although a this point I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do, thanks to everyone's help. More importantly, is there a simple drafting program I could download for free from somewhere so that instead of cruddy webcam pics of my sketches I could make a nice drawing once in awhile
Doesn't look like you were successful at posting the sketch but you do have several options to consider.
Good luck with your project and work safe.
Gabe
one way to do it is to do the exterior side first, then come back and do the interior side. You should be able to cut this hole and do the job all at once. 6 foot wide, probably calls for an angle 3/8 thick, when you put two of these together, one on the inside and one on the outside,they'll probably hold the brick out a little from the original plane of the wall, you could cut the brick a little, maybe just leave it like that if the wall gets furred. Put a couple stiff legs under the joists.