The garage is constructed with what I believe are lightweight concrete blocks on a slab. I would like to create an opening for a small window in one wall. But most importantly, I want to demolish parts of the interior wall that is built up between the garage section and the storage area behind it.
Could this wall have any vital significance for load-bearing? Could a window opening cause problems?
Perhaps a stupid question. I plan to connect the plumbing and bring in water. Presumably, a small trench would then need to be dug under the slab and up. Could this create any issues for load-bearing?
If I want to make an opening for a window in a brick wall, do I need to install a lintel first and how do I do it? Insert a beam first and then cut it out? Or is it just a matter of cutting? It will be a normal-sized window.
You need a beam (H profile or reinforced concrete) above the opening. First, drill several holes in the wall above the intended relief beam so that you have about 50% holes and 50% brick. Then, you can relieve the wall by inserting small beams through the wall and supporting them with a beam on each side of the wall. Now, you can make the window opening and install the final beam. After that, remove the temporary structure and brick up all the holes.
Did I get it right: I drill several through holes above the place where the beam is supposed to be. I stick through pipes/small beams that rest on a long beam on each side of the wall and with props underneath.
Then I chisel out for the beam, brick it in. Then I can open up the opening.
Did I miss anything?
What pipes/beams are we talking about to stick through the wall and what beams to support these with?
How far does the H-beam need to extend on the sides of the intended window?
Not exactly according to your drawing. You have too much wall left under your holes, it's precisely those bricks that can fall on you. So you should make the window opening directly adjacent to your holes, meaning the bottom of the holes will be open after you cut out the window opening. You don't need to make holes next to the opening, only above the opening. The beam should be a little longer than the width of the hole, I'd guess that 20 cm on each side would be enough, but please check with someone knowledgeable you trust.
The beams you insert through the holes don't need to be particularly strong since they are short and there are several that bear the weight; the long beams on both sides of the hole should be well-dimensioned.
How you should dimension the supporting construction depends a lot on how much the wall carries, the size of the opening, etc., and there I can't give you any advice.
Found a thread where someone wanted to create an opening for a door in a load-bearing basement wall and was advised to chisel out a channel above the intended opening, half the depth, and embed a U-beam. Then repeat from the other side. This feels like a significantly easier method. What is thought about that?
Not many responses, so I guess I'll answer myself. If nothing else, it's good for someone in the future who searches and wants to find an answer.
I have now spoken with a construction engineer and I will make it even simpler for myself. Depending on whether I open the opening exactly where a row of blocks ends/starts or in the middle of a block, I will either just scrape out the joint above the intended opening and insert a flat iron, or create a groove with the opening's length + 30 cm on each side and insert a reinforcing bar and seal it with concrete.
From a significantly more complicated variant above to a much simpler variant here! Feels good.
In the end, it turned out to be an even simpler solution. I had bought flat iron that I intended to recess into the joints, but a suggestion from an engineer acquaintance was to attach the flat iron directly on top of the stones. Said and done: I drilled several holes in the irons, corresponding holes in the wall that I filled with anchoring compound and pushed in threaded rods. Then it was just a matter of hanging the iron there and securing it with nuts. It's as solid as a rock. On the inside, I recessed the iron a little in case we decide to plaster or something similar.
My experience with this is that sometimes one/people tend to make things unnecessarily complicated.
Found some good tips here and I'm facing the same project as you. But how did you cut the blocks for the window opening? With an angle grinder? From both sides?
cederbusch said:
In the end, it was an even simpler solution. I had bought flat iron that I had planned to embed in the joints, but a suggestion from an engineer acquaintance was to attach the flat irons directly onto the stones. Said and done: I drilled several holes in the irons, corresponding holes in the wall which I filled with anchor glue and inserted threaded rods into. Then it was just a matter of hanging the iron there and fastening it with nuts. Solid as a rock. On the inside, I slightly recessed the iron in case we decide to plaster or something similar.
My experience from this is that sometimes people tend to make things unnecessarily complicated.
Found some good tips here and I'm facing the same project as you. But how did you cut in the blocks for the window opening? With an angle grinder? From both sides?
With a reciprocating saw and a blade for lecablock and similar. I recall it was quite long, so I could get through from one side.
Oh yes, that was just a picture for demonstration. I've just removed one block there. The opening is as large as needed for a standard window. There are pictures in other threads if you want to check how it turned out.
Vi vill skicka notiser för ämnen du bevakar och händelser som berör dig.
cederbusch said:
In the end, it was an even simpler solution. I had bought flat iron that I had planned to embed in the joints, but a suggestion from an engineer acquaintance was to attach the flat irons directly onto the stones. Said and done: I drilled several holes in the irons, corresponding holes in the wall which I filled with anchor glue and inserted threaded rods into. Then it was just a matter of hanging the iron there and fastening it with nuts. Solid as a rock. On the inside, I slightly recessed the iron in case we decide to plaster or something similar.Anders 1920-tal said:
harry73 said:
