How do you practically make a larger arch in a brick wall? I understand that a supporting beam above the arch needs to be placed, but as mentioned, how do you get it there without the bricks starting to fall from above? The wall continues from the ground floor to the upper floor, so I would prefer not to remove the bricks above the arch.
It is not the easiest to create arches in an existing brick wall, but it is possible with some care.
Start by marking which bricks will be affected. The focus is on the top hole but also the width since it concerns the support for the beam if you do not plan to create an arch that through its height can withstand pressure from above, which is converted into lateral pressure. And first of all, ensure that the wall is not load-bearing (beyond its own weight remaining above the arch).
Then you have several methods to choose from. One depends on the wall thickness. I'll start with that one.
If it is a 1-brick thick wall, you chisel out a groove to a little more than half of the wall's thickness above the hole's upper edge and insert a U-iron profile (with the back inward) that takes the load of the remaining wall above the arch. Once in place and wedged as it should be, you can safely remove the other half of the thickness and insert a similar U-iron profile from the other side, wedge it up, etc., and bolt them together. Then remove the rest of the hole under the profiles. The downside of this method is the risk of getting an unsightly upper edge in the hole unless you then cover it with a wooden frame and conceal the iron with facing bricks cut from the demolition debris.
Another method involves chiseling halfway into the wall to make room for drilling chemical anchors upward from the top of the door hole. This is invisible, except for the drill holes that can be seen from below but are easily concealed with a frame.
The other:
If it's a thinner wall, you can drill horizontally through the wall in several places and support it on both sides with a supporting structure while you demolish the hole. In that case, you need to do it a bit higher up than necessary to get iron at the lower edge that will take the load above the hole. This involves inserting an iron profile as support for the bricks in recesses on both sides of the hole. It can be both cumbersome and unsightly, so it's better to demolish straight up and then widen the hole over the top edge, insert a beam, and simply build a new lintel using the rubble from the demolition.
If you plan to create an arch, it is easiest to make the same and enlarge the hole to full width all the way up and then widen. Then set an arch-shaped form and build the arch with bricks, reinforced with rebar in the mortar joint (2 pcs. fi 6 is sufficient). Then build up the rest of the arch over the arch with the rubble from the demolition. This is definitely the nicest way to do it but requires an experienced bricklayer.
___________________
The Builder
Start by marking which bricks will be affected. The focus is on the top hole but also the width since it concerns the support for the beam if you do not plan to create an arch that through its height can withstand pressure from above, which is converted into lateral pressure. And first of all, ensure that the wall is not load-bearing (beyond its own weight remaining above the arch).
Then you have several methods to choose from. One depends on the wall thickness. I'll start with that one.
If it is a 1-brick thick wall, you chisel out a groove to a little more than half of the wall's thickness above the hole's upper edge and insert a U-iron profile (with the back inward) that takes the load of the remaining wall above the arch. Once in place and wedged as it should be, you can safely remove the other half of the thickness and insert a similar U-iron profile from the other side, wedge it up, etc., and bolt them together. Then remove the rest of the hole under the profiles. The downside of this method is the risk of getting an unsightly upper edge in the hole unless you then cover it with a wooden frame and conceal the iron with facing bricks cut from the demolition debris.
Another method involves chiseling halfway into the wall to make room for drilling chemical anchors upward from the top of the door hole. This is invisible, except for the drill holes that can be seen from below but are easily concealed with a frame.
The other:
If it's a thinner wall, you can drill horizontally through the wall in several places and support it on both sides with a supporting structure while you demolish the hole. In that case, you need to do it a bit higher up than necessary to get iron at the lower edge that will take the load above the hole. This involves inserting an iron profile as support for the bricks in recesses on both sides of the hole. It can be both cumbersome and unsightly, so it's better to demolish straight up and then widen the hole over the top edge, insert a beam, and simply build a new lintel using the rubble from the demolition.
If you plan to create an arch, it is easiest to make the same and enlarge the hole to full width all the way up and then widen. Then set an arch-shaped form and build the arch with bricks, reinforced with rebar in the mortar joint (2 pcs. fi 6 is sufficient). Then build up the rest of the arch over the arch with the rubble from the demolition. This is definitely the nicest way to do it but requires an experienced bricklayer.
___________________
The Builder
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