There's a brick wall in my doorway

Number21 · Nov 6, 2009

I have a place with a "shop" in the front built out of cinderblocks and concrete, and a "barn" in the back attached to the concrete building. The doors to each building are conveniently located on opposite ends of the place.

I could save myself about a mile of walking every day if I put another door in my cinder block building between the two. Question being what's the easiest way to knock a door sized hole in a block wall? I'll have to take out extras around the edges and refill with half sized blocks.

If I chisel the mortar joints will they break cleanly without damaging at least one of the blocks? Should I just chisel around the opening and take a sledge hammer to the middle of it? I want it to be a relatively clean break, but I don't really want to CUT it.

I'm trying *SO* hard not to, umm, stick the gas pedal on my truck accidently and call the insurance company.... :lol_hitti

the spyder · Nov 6, 2009

We used a 14" demo saw with a wet blade. Took out a 10x12 doorway in 3 hours. Its clean, just needed some quick filler. Framing was easy, we dropped lags in the patch cement.

Torque1st · Nov 6, 2009

Just use a diamond saw available at any home box store. You can rent one or buy a blade for an old saw of your own. Buy a long masonry bit and drill thru the wall at two places on each side of the doorway for markers so you can cut from both sides. Back off on the masonry bit when you are close to getting thru to avoid as much spalling as possible on the other side. Once you have cut thru the block on the sides then demo out the center. Finish the opening with mortar or frame it in as required. Make sure the opening is not under a load bearing structural member or frame the opening with a proper header for support.

65Stang · Nov 6, 2009

Is there reinforcing bar in the block wall? I would think cutting would be a time saver compared to chiseling and removing the blocks.

PurdueSD · Nov 6, 2009

You going to need a steel angle iron header... or something to carry the load above the doorway...

Falcon67 · Nov 6, 2009

My experience with cinder block is that you can carefully mark the blocks, score them deeply where you want them to separate and then tap them on the break line with a cold chisel - and they'll bust into pieces where ever they feel like. !@#$##! So I would mark the doorway and just wet saw the hole.

Stick Figure · Nov 6, 2009

So the old paint brush method won't work?

sorry first thing that popped into my head when i read the title. :lol_hitti

mrpowderkeg · Nov 6, 2009

You need one of these things, they can be found on CL, or local classified ads for a good deal for a well used one, but I've seen well used ones last a long time. Or you could rent one. The cool thing about these, is they can cut anything, concrete, steel, etc... I've cut a 440 head apart so I could see how thick it was for porting, took less than a min.

pcmeiners · Nov 6, 2009

Demo saw is the way to go. I ended up purchasing one on Ebay, as the local Home Depot wanted close to $200.00 for blade wear on a 4 hour $60.00 rental (friggin thieves)...you can purchase a couple brand new blades for that.
Not as nice a cut, you can pop a cheap $20.00 diamond blade on a cheap 7 1/4"

Torque1st · Nov 6, 2009

pcmeiners said:
Not as nice a cut, you can pop a cheap $20.00 diamond blade on a cheap 7 1/4"

That is what I have done in the past. The regular abrasive blades are a waste of money, -go with the diamond blades. :thumbup:

If you are careful where you cut and make sure the cuts are in the voids a cheap diamond blade will do real well. Then all you have to do is frame the opening or smooth it with mortar depending on header support required.

krooser · Nov 6, 2009

I rented one and bought a new blade rather than pay for wear on the rental one... I think it was $40.00.

ddawg16 · Nov 6, 2009

My Sears 7 1/2" saw did just fine with a diamond blade going through stucco....cinderblock should be like cutting through cake compared to stucco....

The advice on drilling the holes is priceless....trust me....(but don't ask me why)

It will be a lot easier than you think.....but as Purdue said...you may want a steel angle for the header....in fact...if you really want to make it right...put angle all around just in case someone tries to fit an object larger than the doorway through it....

Torque1st · Nov 6, 2009

John- Remember the old adage about "measure twice and cut once"? Even when I measured three times I still came out wrong. The drill coming thru at the wrong place and hitting a pipe helped convince me. :beer:

Number21 · Nov 6, 2009

PurdueSD said:
You going to need a steel angle iron header... or something to carry the load above the doorway...

Yeah, in his haste to get out (in handcuffs LOL) the last occupant of my shop left me a bunch of really nice heavy C channel in the barn...

(I think he was getting ready to trade it for meth *sigh*)

Am I going to be ok temporarily removing the bottom half of a 12' tall block wall without the top falling or cracking before I put in a steel header? My roof/attic area on top of the wall is very light...

Torque1st · Nov 6, 2009

Figure out which course of blocks will be the top of your door. Use a couple pieces of that heavy channel and finger tighten a 1/2" bolt thru each block twice and twice thru at least one block on each side of the opening. Do not tighten the bolts or you may crack the blocks. Then cut your doorway.

Photo · Nov 7, 2009

Or, make your horizontal cut for the top of the doorway first (on both sides), put in the heavy angle iron using this cut for the bottom flange to support the weight above where the opening will be. Once the angle is in place, finish the vertical cuts and open up the doorway. If you take out the top 1 or 2 rows first, you can make sure to tie the angle irons together by welding a couple pieces of flat bar between them to ensure they do not work their way apart and fall out. Make sure you extend the angle iron about a foot (or 1 full block if you can afford the room) out past each side of the opening.

Please note: This will only work if the 2 cuts are perfectly placed in relation to each other. Drill a hole at each end of the cut first to make sure they line up properly! This is easily done if you make the cut through the grout between the blocks leaving a complete block directly above the angle iron.

Lane

Number21 · Nov 7, 2009

I do have an expansion joint in the building, a straight vertical line in the block filled with rubber instead of mortar, near where I want the door. Problem is it's about 2' outside the wall of my barn.

I'm thinking about moving the wall of the barn another 2' (hey, more sq ft anyway!) and putting the door there. Less work. Is there any reason I can't put a door on the expansion joint?

Torque1st · Nov 7, 2009

Without actually examining the structure I could not tell you. On the other hand, I would NOT put an opening there because of the possibility of movement and support.

NUTTSGT · Nov 7, 2009

If need be, you can put some bracing up over top where the door way will be. A couple of 4x4s and a 2x6 should work for a temp brace.

There's a brick wall in my doorway

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