Planning to install a door in a wall. Today, a masonry fireplace (with a fireplace insert) stands in the corner of the room. Previously, a stove was connected differently to the chimney. Therefore, a wall has been built out that extends about 1m from the fireplace as a form of heat/spark protection where the previous stove stood. The wall no longer serves any function for the current open fireplace with insert.
Now we want to install a door right there or at least so that the door opening will partially be in the masonry section. In the attic, you can see that the masonry section is not load-bearing in any way since nothing is above it and the wall just ends in the middle of the insulation in the attic. It probably consists of masonry bricks.
How is it done????
1 Do you knock down the entire wall with a sledgehammer and chisel and tidy up the edge left against the masonry open fireplace with mortar/plaster??
2 Do you just knock down precisely as much as needed to fit the door and fix and hide with the door frame/molding and possibly plaster or drywall?
3 Do you cut an opening in the wall with a stone saw or cut off the wall next to the masonry fireplace?
Thoughts on simplicity, dustiness, minimal after-work, floor covering, etc.
Now we want to install a door right there or at least so that the door opening will partially be in the masonry section. In the attic, you can see that the masonry section is not load-bearing in any way since nothing is above it and the wall just ends in the middle of the insulation in the attic. It probably consists of masonry bricks.
How is it done????
1 Do you knock down the entire wall with a sledgehammer and chisel and tidy up the edge left against the masonry open fireplace with mortar/plaster??
2 Do you just knock down precisely as much as needed to fit the door and fix and hide with the door frame/molding and possibly plaster or drywall?
3 Do you cut an opening in the wall with a stone saw or cut off the wall next to the masonry fireplace?
Thoughts on simplicity, dustiness, minimal after-work, floor covering, etc.
Stone saws will create dust, and if you tear down the entire wall, you need to have proper protection on the floor. Can't you knock out the stones one by one?
I recently knocked down parts of a brick wall with a hammer and chisel. There was no problem splitting the stones with the chisel to get a fairly straight edge. Do NOT saw into the brick. The dust is super fine, red, and impossible to clean up.
However, you'll probably need to start by installing a load-bearing beam over the opening. Use, for example, a 140x45 beam on its edge and allow the ends to extend into the wall about a decimeter to the left and right of the opening.
Once you have supported the brick above the opening, you can start knocking out stones under the beam.
However, you'll probably need to start by installing a load-bearing beam over the opening. Use, for example, a 140x45 beam on its edge and allow the ends to extend into the wall about a decimeter to the left and right of the opening.
Once you have supported the brick above the opening, you can start knocking out stones under the beam.
Thanks for the advice. Sounds like chisel and hammer are the way to go.