Why, how and how is an opening in a brick wall reinforced?

Applications of reinforced cage

In order to strengthen the walls and prevent new damage from occurring, you can reinforce the walls.
This can be done using reinforcement cages, metal rods or reinforcing mesh. The simplest option is to carry out reinforcement using reinforcing mesh, in this case, the order of work will be as follows:

• You can fix the reinforcing mesh on the wall either on one side or on both sides;
• before this it is necessary to drill holes;
• To fasten the mesh, through studs are used or this can be done using anchor bolts;
• after attaching the mesh, concrete mortar is applied to it, the grade of which should not be lower than M 100;
• the thickness of the solution layer is usually in the range of 20-40 mm;
• auxiliary metal rods with a diameter of 6 mm are attached along the height of the corners, 25-30 cm retreat from the edge;
• if the mesh is installed on only one side, then studs or anchors with a diameter of 8 mm are used in increments of 60-75 cm;
• if the reinforcing mesh is attached to both sides of the wall, then the diameter of the studs is at least 12 mm and their pitch is 100-120 cm;
• The reinforcing mesh is attached to the anchors or studs using welding or knitting wire.

Expanding window openings in various types of houses

This information is mainly used by builders when carrying out work. It will also be useful for property owners to study it to better familiarize themselves with the nuances of the process. Features of changing window parameters depend on the type of house.

In panel houses

The external walls of some panel-type houses include the supporting frame of the house, which creates a risk of touching the reinforcement running through the panels during repairs. For the same reason, the perimeter of the window in panel houses is reinforced with a metal frame. Most often, an increase in the window area is carried out by removing the area under it, but this option is unacceptable for houses built after 2006, the design of the panels of which is not suitable for this.

In monolithic houses

The external walls of this type of house, like most of the walls inside, are usually not load-bearing. This makes them most suitable for window conversions.

In a cinder-concrete house

Walls made of this material, more often used in private homes, may chip unevenly. In this regard, when increasing window openings in a cinder concrete house, it is recommended to make a preliminary cut. The opening must be strengthened, otherwise after the repair the process of destruction of the wall will quickly begin.

Possible errors and difficulties in the process

This subsequently leads to problems with thermal insulation and a decrease in the reliability of installation work.

Incorrectly made clearances will need to be redone, and this will lead to higher costs for construction work. To prevent this from happening, you will need to link the openings to the wall.

Particular attention is paid to the top of the slopes; it is checked taking into account the design of the finished floor. It happens that when making openings the required gaps on the sides of the box 30 mm and below 60 mm are not observed

Also, the shape of the opening is often incorrectly executed with violation of the diagonals, when they are not equal to each other.

Incorrect calculations of a reduced double-glazed window: after installing PVC structures, the glazing area becomes insufficient and cannot provide sufficient natural light to the room.

Opening in a monolithic wall

Monolithic houses are more suitable for redevelopment. Since they are most often built by small companies, it is easier to obtain permission from these organizations for renovation work that changes the functional purpose of the premises.

Repair work is carried out according to the above scheme: the wall is first strengthened, and only after that they begin to modify it.

At first glance, constructing an opening in a wall is not a complicated operation. But installation and reinforcement work requires correct calculations and adherence to the technological process. If the standards are violated, interference with the supporting structures can lead to the destruction of the entire building.

Process

The arrangement of lintels, with the formation of a unit and taking into account support in the wall, must take place according to the rules described in SNiPs. Since reinforced concrete lintels are used most often in modern buildings, the process of their installation consists of the following nuances:

1. For laying, a ledge is made with a width of at least 25 cm, and on each side of the opening, the length of the structure should exceed this width by 50 cm.
2. For installation, use a truck crane to lift the lintel - it will lift and lower it to the desired support point, onto which uncured concrete mortar has already been applied.
3. With prefabricated options, formwork is arranged, formed along the width of the opening, a reinforcement cage is knitted and the lintels are poured in a monolithic manner, leaving them until completely dry.

Metal jumpers are lightweight. Presented in the form of channels and various forms of rolled steel, their advantage is that during operation they can be cut to the required length.

Brick lintels are mounted to the main wall along the top of the opening, and then connected to each other using a shelf from which hang clamps placed in vertical seams. The clamps reliably reinforce the lintel, and it turns out strong.

Recently, in most cases, builders have placed the professional BAUT reinforcement system into brick lintels.

A simple and reliable way to install a brick lintel - in the video:

Is it always possible to cut into a concrete wall?

Work to create openings in concrete walls must be carried out in strict compliance with laws, building regulations and sanitary standards, taking into account fire safety. In most cases, when remodeling, it is unacceptable to touch load-bearing walls.

To obtain permission to carry out such work, you should think about how the reconstruction of the apartment does not entail damage to the entire building. To do this, you need to reinforce the opening in the load-bearing wall using metal structures. This applies to the upper floors; on the lower floors, changing the apartment plan may be prohibited.

When obtaining this permit, the following points are taken into account:

• the material from which the house is built;
• apartment layout;
• dimensions of the new opening and supporting structure;
• technical condition of the building and its ceilings;
• pressure exerted on the walls from above;
• wall thickness and condition.

In a private building, it is much easier to create a window or doorway in a concrete wall, since there are no lower or upper floors on which the load could increase. But it is imperative to take into account all aspects and details that may subsequently affect the stability of the floors of the house.

Unprofessional and illiterate redevelopment in a private house can lead to disastrous results, so before breaking through an additional opening, you need to study all the design features of the load-bearing walls of the house and find out the following:

1. House project;
2. the area of ​​the new opening in relation to the area of ​​the load-bearing wall;
3. technical parameters of the house, the condition of its ceilings;
4. thickness and strength of the load-bearing wall.

Coordination of window opening expansion

To obtain permission to change the layout of, for example, a Moscow living space, you need to contact the State Housing Inspectorate of the city. The main papers required to coordinate the conversion of window openings in any situation include the following documents:

• ownership;
• technical passport of the BTI living space;
• statement;
• layout change plan.

Approval for redevelopment is valid for a month. After this period, the permit can be renewed for the same period an unlimited number of times by submitting an application. In case of refusal, you can try to challenge it in court.

Changing the shape and size of a window may involve increasing its strength with metal structure equipment, the quality of which cannot be verified, since it relates to hidden work. An act must be drawn up about them, which is handled by an employee of the construction company, also entering this data into the report on the repairs carried out. The document is then submitted to an employee of the design company for signature. Both institutions must have the appropriate documents allowing them to work with this act.

The final stage in the approval of repairs is the notification of the State Housing Inspectorate about the completion of the work and the assessment of the completed transformations by a commission, which includes employees of this organization, as well as design, construction and BTI institutions. If the repair included work on the common property of the house, the commission should include a DEZ employee.

If the changes comply with the approved redevelopment plan, the owner of the living space will receive a certificate of completion; successfully completed work will also be recorded in the apartment’s technical passport. Some of the enterprises involved in transforming door and window openings in houses perform not only physical and design work, but can also take on the process of coordinating repairs with the State Housing Inspectorate.

What are the difficulties?

An opening can be made in an iron-concrete floor, if the design of the floor itself allows it. In other words, if this is an old house, where the ceiling slabs are narrow and long, then creating an opening will be almost impossible, since an opening of this size will disrupt the design of the slab, and it will have to be strengthened in such a way that, firstly, this will not be agreed upon in the redevelopment, and secondly , this will become very costly.

But in houses with monolithic floors, just now everyone is making openings to accommodate stairs, when creating a transition in two-story or more apartments and private houses. You can even place an elevator in such an opening.

Technically, it is necessary to ensure that the cut part of the slab is supported from below, and then we cut or saw out, drill around the perimeter, and lower the fragment of the ceiling down. Next, we chop it up and take out the trash.

Openings can be of various shapes and sizes.

In some cases, significant strengthening of structures with rolled metal is required.

Special diamond circular saws are used for cutting concrete. You can also use other available tools (a professional large grinder with two handles). Cooling is required during the cutting process.

This video demonstrates stationary cutting of concrete, when the saw is fixedly fixed on the floor of the ceiling using a special frame.

The second video shows a device for drilling holes in the ceiling; there is also reinforcement inside the ceiling..

If the reinforced concrete floor does not have a stiffener rib or the next level, or something heavy is not installed on the floor slab, then you can make an opening, there will be nothing wrong with it, but you must also remember that the reinforced concrete floor itself remains in place as long as there are ribs rigidity or reinforcement in it, if the structure is damaged, the slab may collapse, and even after the opening is made, this ceiling cannot be loaded in other places.

So, for example, if you make an opening in the ceiling a-1 or a-2 from one side to the other, the slab will collapse, the same can happen with slabs a-3 and a-4 if you cut off the stiffening ribs.

The opening itself can be cut in two ways:

1. Drilling through holes along the contour of the opening a few millimeters apart.
2. Cut the opening using a diamond blade.

I like the second option better, since the edges are initially smooth and do not require further processing.

And now ATTENTION!

When you cut an opening, it will fall from a height of at least 1.8 meters, and this is fraught with destruction in the house, since the opening will be very heavy, because it is made of concrete and metal structures. Therefore, before cutting the opening, it is necessary to ensure safety so that the cut piece does not fall.

An opening in a reinforced concrete floor can only be made if you have some experience in construction and have coordinated this type of work with the competent authorities, since during the manufacture of the opening you will weaken the reinforced concrete slab, which can lead to the collapse of the rest of the slab or the destruction of the room, and this can cause damage to health people and even death. Therefore, you should not do this work yourself; use the help of specially trained people with a license (permit) to perform this type of work!

Permission to open

Imagine that moving a doorway, even if it is made in a non-load-bearing interior partition, is also a redevelopment. But apartment owners cannot always correctly determine whether a particular wall is truly non-load-bearing.

As a result, the price of such actions turns out to be too high: even if unauthorized intervention did not lead to destruction, it may be impossible to sell the apartment or house afterwards. Therefore, even if you just need to move the door, do everything properly.

How to find out if a wall is load-bearing

For both an apartment and a private residential building, the owner has a floor plan, which is issued by the BTI when the building is put into operation. Most often, load-bearing walls are shown thicker than partitions. But this is not always the case, and a lot depends on the type of house.

• In houses that we used to call “Khrushchev”, especially brick ones, the partitions are always non-load-bearing. But in multi-apartment panel buildings built according to modern designs, the loads from the floors are distributed across almost all partitions. There is nothing surprising about this; construction technologies simply change over time, and this must be taken into account.

Changing the shape and expanding the opening also requires approval

• External and inter-apartment walls are always load-bearing. As for the interior wall, the easiest way to determine whether it is load-bearing is by its thickness. The enclosing structure is 8-10 cm thick and clearly does not bear any loads, and you can safely make a new opening in it by filling the old one with bricks.

Note! The only thing the apartment owner needs to do in this case is to notify the housing inspection about the redevelopment of the opening. To do this, you should take a copy of the floor plan of the premises, display the design changes on it, and attach it to the corresponding application.

At the appointed time, an inspection employee will come to you and duly coordinate and formalize the acceptance of the apartment after the redevelopment has been completed. No approvals are required to slightly widen the opening in such a partition.

But how to obtain permission for more significant design changes will be explained in the instructions in our next chapter.

How to coordinate an opening in a load-bearing wall

As you can see, with ordinary partitions everything is simple, and approval for the relocation of the opening is made after the work has been completed. It's a completely different matter when it comes to a load-bearing wall. In order to make such structural changes in it, permission is required - and both the transfer and the expansion of the opening will have to be coordinated with the housing inspectorate.

• By the way, not only individuals, but also legal entities must obtain permission for redevelopment. So a company that is planning such changes, for example, in its office, is also required to have a permitting document on hand. The only thing that does not require approval is changing the direction of opening the internal door.
• To obtain permission to make structural changes to a load-bearing wall, first of all, you need to obtain a technical opinion from the organization that designed the building. If you succeed, then you can safely go to the design office with this paper. It looks something like the one shown in the photo below.

Doorway reinforcement drawings

• Next, copies of the certificate of ownership and registration certificate for the apartment are attached to the drawing, and an application for redevelopment is written. In a month and a half you will receive the desired permission - although this is not a fact. You will be given a 100% positive answer if you have a conclusion from the author of the project.
• If you were unable to obtain such a conclusion, then there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to move the opening, even if you submit a project. In any case, you need to apply for approval in advance, since in the event of unauthorized redevelopment, permission will not be issued at all, and you will also be punished.
• Once the approvals are completed and you finally have permission, you can begin work. When they are completed, the owner of the premises must notify the housing inspection and ensure the presence of its representative to accept and draw up the appropriate act. After this, an engineer from BTI will also come to you, who will put the last point in this epic.

Standard act of acceptance of premises after redevelopment

• What situations are taken into account by the housing inspectorate when considering an application for redevelopment of an opening in a load-bearing wall? Mostly, difficulties arise for owners of apartments in multi-storey buildings. First of all, the total number of floors in the house matters.
• The higher it is, the less load on the floors becomes, and the greater the chances of getting approval to reconstruct the wall. The age of the building is also taken into account. If, for example, it is more than half a hundred years old, touching dilapidated structures can be simply dangerous. If permission for punching is given in such cases, then most often it is limited to the opening width of 90 cm.
• Again, when it comes to multi-storey buildings, the housing inspection examines the condition of the walls in all apartments below and above you. If one of your neighbors has already made an opening in this wall, then you may not receive permission. Or, on the contrary, they may demand that it be moved to the side.

In this case, all related factors are analyzed. For example, the opening on the internal wall should not be in the area where the floor slabs meet; it also cannot be located closer than one meter to the outer wall.

An obstacle to making an opening can also be the presence of ventilation ducts or chimneys, or electrical wiring that cannot be moved. All these nuances require careful study - which is what the housing inspection does when considering applications.

Materials and tools for the device

To install lintels in brick walls, you will need the following consumables and tools:

• construction hammer, hacksaw, electric drill, screwdriver;
• set of installation accessories;
• trowel, putty, brushes, spatulas, bucket for mortar;
• edged boards of the same thickness, with metal or wooden supports;
• metal corners, self-tapping screws, reinforcing mesh or metal rods, nails with wide heads, binding wire;
• polyethylene film, roofing felt;
• composition for concrete in finished form or separately: cement, sand, gravel, water, slag.

Separately, gloves, overalls, rags, brushes and “levelers” for concrete may be useful so that the poured solution is well compacted when distributed, filling the pores of the wall and formwork attached to the surface.

Instructions for constructing an opening in a load-bearing brick wall

Korovin Sergey Dmitrievich

Master of Architecture, graduated from Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. 11 years of experience in design and construction.

Sometimes, for redevelopment in an apartment or private house, it is necessary to make a new door or window opening. Creating an opening in the load-bearing wall of an apartment brick building is not the easiest task. Things are easier with redevelopment in a private house, here everyone is their own boss.

What is a doorway? This is a hole in the wall intended for installing entrance units. The fixed fixed element in the inter-wall space is called a door frame. Often an arch is made as a decorative element of the interior.

Ways to strengthen openings

The technology for strengthening openings in a load-bearing wall depends on its thickness and material of manufacture. The main methods are presented in the table:

No. Reinforcement material Characteristics

1	Steel channel	The most common option among builders. 2 people are enough to complete the work. Install a steel channel and, if necessary, tighten the structure with threaded ties. When the opening width is more than 1000 mm, it is reinforced with a metal clip.
2	Metal corner	Reinforcement of the opening with a corner is carried out along the entire contour or it is installed only as a lintel. The corners are secured with anchors overlapping or flush at the edges of the opening. Transverse plates are used as a connecting element, which are welded to the corners. Metal heels are welded under the supporting elements, which contribute to uniform redistribution of the load.
3	Metal frame (clip)	Used to strengthen damaged, deformed brick walls. It is a structure made of interconnected steel corners. Supporting metal plates are installed at the bottom of the frame, which serve to redistribute the load.
4	Reinforced concrete lintel	Most often used to strengthen structures during construction. When performing repair work, a reinforced concrete lintel is rarely installed due to its heavy weight.

Before installing metal elements, they must be treated with anti-corrosion agents. Channel reinforcement is the best option in terms of price-quality ratio.

How to properly brick a window

brick the window

Sometimes, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce their number in the house. If the rear ones are made of the building material we specified, you will simply need to fill the opening with bricks. Some technologies will need to be followed:

1. Mix a thick solution. This consistency is needed so that it does not crack.
2. Clean the surface from dirt.
3. The wall is primed.
4. To save money, the brick is placed on the edge.
5. The cracks are sealed with construction foam.
6. Sheets of polystyrene foam are placed on top.
7. The surface is finished.

There is nothing complicated about how to brick a window opening. But any of the above processes is very important: it should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations given. If they are ignored, there is a risk of deformation of the work done and even collapse of the entire building. If you still have questions, we recommend watching the video “how to brick windows”:

Sometimes situations arise when you need to cut in an additional door or window in a house, while making an opening in a blank partition or load-bearing wall. If we talk about buildings owned by the state or any company, then permission for such actions is extremely difficult to obtain, but in your own home you will do this without anyone’s permission, and now we will discuss the technical side of the issue.

Also, the video in this article will help you clearly understand this topic.

Finished section of a window in a brick wall

Strengthening openings. Strengthening load-bearing walls.

Cheap openings with reinforcement and fixing defects

If you do not have a project and you are going to make an opening without permission or you do not need documents from us, we can offer you to make an opening reinforced with a channel or corner for a standard solution.

Below is the cheapest cost of finished openings with channel reinforcement without documents from us.

An opening in a panel house with standard channel reinforcement, including metal and its delivery. The connection nodes have a corner and a strip. Anchors and plate (heels) for the channel.

Separately, removal of the remaining construction waste: 4,000 rubles for removal of waste into a container (openings in the walls 14-18 cm thick), if there is no container + 6,500 rubles for a container within the Moscow Ring Road. Completion time is one or two working days (depending on the thickness of the wall and breaks for noisy work). Metal to the size for reinforcement is prepared at the work site.

Strengthening openings in brick walls

Reasons for strengthening

Reinforcement of brickwork is carried out to increase the strength of the structure. Such measures guarantee the preservation of the integrity of the structure during possible redevelopment of the house, displacement of internal partitions, or installation of additional window or door openings. Strengthening a brick wall helps prevent deformation of the building as a whole. At the first signs of a violation of the integrity of the structure, it is recommended to install reinforced walls.

Deformation of masonry occurs under the influence of such factors:

• Incorrectly calculated project. Violation of the standard distance between buildings, uneven distribution of the bearing capacity of elements, excessive loads on the foundation.
• Violation of foundation construction technology. Lack of additional strengthening of loose soil, incorrect foundation depth, use of additives in solutions.
• Poor quality masonry. The incorrect choice of method for constructing window and door openings, cladding with mixtures with a low level of air permeability, the use of low-quality mortar, and the absence of distribution slabs when laying floors.
• Violation of the rules for using walls. Lack of drainpipes and blind areas, leakage of underground communication systems, disruption of hinge connections of load-bearing elements with floors.

Openings in brick walls

You probably understand the danger of removing intermediate bricks from the wall - the situation is similar to the film “Operation Y”, when G. Vitsin took out the bottom pot from a vertical stack. The situation is the same here and not a single instruction will give you guidance on this type of partial dismantling. To figure out how to properly disassemble a wall in order to make an opening in it, you need to understand its design.

Types of brickwork

Names of the sides of the brick

The brick is a volumetric rectangle with three main sides, which, according to GOST 530-2007, are called spoon, poke and bed. In Russia, a single product standard has been adopted, therefore, red brick (ordinary or refractory) has the following dimensions: single - 250x120x65 mm, one-and-a-half - 250x120x88 mm and double - 250x120x103 mm. But the double sand-lime brick M 150 is slightly different and its dimensions are 250x120x138 mm.

Brick size by parts

In construction, the thickness of masonry is usually determined not by the metric system, but by parts of brick or stone. Therefore, the wall can be a full stone (full brick), three quarters of a stone, half a stone, a quarter of a stone, as well as two stones, two stones and a quarter, and so on.

First, a little theory about masonry - at the top you see three methods of tying masonry - spoon, chain and cross. The first method, when the entire brick lies with a spoon facing outwards, indicates that its depth is 120 mm. If in the masonry you see the side called the butt, then the thickness naturally increases to 250 mm, but this is no longer in partitions, but in load-bearing or semi-load-bearing walls (see also Is it possible to build a bathhouse with your own hands from brick).

Brick wall in section. Well masonry

Well masonry is so called because it has wells formed in the cavity between the walls, which are filled with some kind of insulation. In old houses, this is most often slag, which serves as insulation, but sometimes it can just be construction debris and even soil (that’s what the builders were like). In modern buildings, penoizol or urea-formaldehyde foam (CFP) is most often used as thermal insulation in such cases.

Thickened well masonry

But the well masonry does not always consist of two partitions; more often it is reinforced with one more (see photo above) or even two rows of bricks. Naturally, in such a situation the task becomes more complicated due to the depth of the obstacle.

Cutting out the opening

Marking the place for the opening

To make a cut in the wall of a brick house for a door or window, first of all you need to mark this place with chalk. It should be taken into account that the opening must be several centimeters larger than the door frame or window frame, since after installation, foam is blown into this gap, which serves as additional fixation, as well as insulation of the gap.

The upper part of the opening is widened to accommodate the beam

Look at the photo and you will see that the opening is made in the shape of a T, where the crossbar is created for the beam that will support the masonry hanging from above. A wooden beam is used as this beam in partitions, and in semi-load-bearing walls a board 50 mm thick is used, and if you disassemble such structures, this is exactly what you will see there. In load-bearing walls, reinforced concrete beams are used for openings (if you have ever made holes for cornice brackets on a load-bearing wall, then you have seen this for yourself).

First, let's try to make an opening in the partition of half a brick or a quarter brick (this is the usual thickness of partitions). Of course, it is easier to disassemble the partition, but using this example it will be possible to learn how to disassemble more complex (load-bearing and semi-load-bearing) structures. It’s just that on such partitions the principle of removing bricks will be clear. (see also Is it possible to build a tandoor out of brick with your own hands)

Mistakes a newbie can make

There are a large number of stages of work where an inexperienced worker can make a mistake. This often happens when determining the planting depth of the canvas, choosing fasteners, as well as when sealing plastic windows. In order for new window frames to last for a long time, it is necessary to take into account some features:

installation with glazing beads outward is not carried out, since this negatively affects the safety of the structure - such a canvas can be easily dismantled from the street; It is worth paying attention to the depth of the frame - an incorrectly positioned canvas can let in cold air or extraneous noise from the street; leveling the structure is a mandatory stage of installation - if installed incorrectly, the process of opening or closing the glass unit will be disrupted; polyurethane foam must be protected from UV radiation, otherwise it loses its properties and cracks, which breaks the seal; The structure must be secured not only with polyurethane foam - anchor bolts are used to securely fix the canvas.

If you follow the technology for preparing the window opening, the seating depth of the canvas and other installation rules, you will be able to install the structure yourself without fear for the result.

Installation of a horizontal jumper

First you need to make grooves for the channels, which originate from the seam between the masonry. In this case, the length of the metal profile is selected based on the height of the opening, divided by 2, and add 15 cm. During installation, it is worth using concrete mortar to make the reinforcing structure solid. The support area of ​​each channel must be at least 250 mm. As for the depth of the niches, it will be equal to the thickness of the metal profile.

After the grooves are made, you should start strengthening the walls of the brick house with strands. To do this, insert a long drill into the outer holes of the metal profile (on both sides) and use a drill to make through holes in the corners of the opening. After this, another channel is applied to the reverse side so that the holes in it and the wall coincide. Now all that remains is to connect both reinforcing elements with anchor bolts along the pre-drilled holes.

In addition, it is worth connecting both metal profiles with transverse plates by welding. Now the entire load of the floors and walls will be partially taken up by the completed crossbar.

Work order

First of all, you need to decide where to organize additional space for entry and exit. It all starts with the markup. You need to decide on the width of the hole, and then begin to determine its future location with a pencil. You need to measure the distance from the outer wall and make a mark - from here we begin to draw the outline of the future interior space.

For their exact match, it is necessary to drill several holes according to the pencil markings (Fig. 1). And then on the other side connect all the holes with a pencil line.

The above-described manipulations should be carried out using a building level, a triangle and a ruler.

Since we will create the space in the load-bearing wall of a brick house, it is necessary to take care of auxiliary partitions and lintels in advance (Fig. 2).

Openings in interior partitions

Partitions up to 100–150 mm thick are easier to cut, but careful alignment of the markings is required, because cutting is carried out on both sides. To align the markings, two control points are enough - the upper corners of the opening, in which through holes are drilled. When working, you need to carefully monitor the perpendicular position of the drill.

The control points must be connected with a horizontal line, and two vertical ones on both sides must be dropped using a plumb line. Afterwards, cutting lines are drawn with an indentation of 15–20 mm on both sides of the contour markings. In the room where you plan to remove and disassemble the core, the markings should be 10–15 mm larger to form a wedge-shaped gap.

Along the outer marking lines, a cut is made with a grinder to the entire effective depth of the disc. You can chop the core of the groove with a chisel or even with a hand, hammering it into one of the cuts. To select material from the groove, we can recommend crushing it by drilling 20-24 mm holes in the central part of the cut in increments of 10-15 cm - such fragments are easily removed with a hammer.

How to strengthen

Often cracks in brick walls occur due to subsidence of the foundation, changes in the base

Repair work aimed at strengthening brick walls must be carried out in a certain sequence. First of all, the basement of the building should be repaired. Due to shrinkage processes, the base of a brick building may become covered with cracks, which in turn will provoke the appearance of similar defects on the wall itself.

Before starting repairs, you should find out the reasons for such changes in the basement of the building. Only after eliminating the cause can you begin to repair the cracks in the base. To do this, use high-strength cement mortar, which is pumped into the cracks.

Narrow defects can be repaired with a strong solution

Repairing and strengthening a brick wall begins with cleaning cracks along their width and depth. Narrow cracks are sealed with a strong mortar, and wide cracks are pre-strengthened with reinforced mesh. This will strengthen the load-bearing capacity of the wall, as well as prevent the formation of cracks during further operation of the building.

In the event that serious destructive processes are present, brick walls can be strengthened by installing a monolithic reinforced concrete belt around the entire perimeter of the building. Naturally, for this it will be necessary to dismantle the roof.

If cracks wider than 10 mm occur, it is recommended to install steel brackets

The technology for strengthening brick walls also involves installing brackets made of reinforced steel, provided that the cracks exceed 10 mm.

For wider cracks, staples are installed on both sides, fastened together with through bolts. A hard solution of the required consistency is pumped into the crack.

The main methods of strengthening are indicated in the following table:

Strengthening brick walls: technologies and equipment. Crack in a brick wall

At the same time, there are structures in which it is necessary to strengthen or replace lintels that have become unusable over openings that are open only on one side.
Such structures are, in particular, galleries for supplying sand and crushed stone at mortar-concrete units. A design feature of lintels over openings in such structures is that the lintel is open to view from only two sides: from below and from one, usually the inner side of the wall. Adjacent to the other, outer side of the wall, is usually an inclined tunnel, the ceiling of which is at the same level as the bottom of the lintel, that is, it coincides with the top of the opening (Fig. When replacing or strengthening a lintel, using the standard approach, which consists of installing steel channels above the lintel on both sides of the wall in grooves cut into the brick wall and then connecting them with coupling bolts, is obviously unacceptable in this case.

At the same time, the wall above the lintel must be supported in some way, since when replacing lintels it is necessary not only to ensure the required strength of the wall, but also to prevent deformation of the floors resting on this wall.

Strengthening brick walls can improve their performance characteristics. Very often you can see cracks in the walls of a brick house, which indicates their weakness and the presence of poor load-bearing support. There are various methods of strengthening brick walls to increase their durability.

There are two options for replacing lintels in brick walls that are open on only one side. In accordance with the first option, the jumper is replaced in the following sequence (Fig.

The length of the corner should overlap the opening by at least mm in each direction. The optimal distance between double-spacer anchor bolts should be determined by calculation.

Cutting methods

In order to make a passage in the main wall, you will need special cutting tools. You cannot use a percussion tool, such as a hammer drill, for such work, because strong vibration will lead to cracks and chipping of the material.

Work on cutting openings is carried out by several types of cutting:

• diamond;
• cold cutting (water jet method);
• laser cutting (oxygen-lance drilling);
• hammer drill and grinder.

Diamond cutting

Diamond cutting is one of the most popular methods of forming a window or door opening. In this way you can make an opening for both a door and a window. To work, you will need a diamond-coated disk attachment and a container of water to immerse the tool in it for cooling and reduce the amount of dust.

The method has the following advantages:

1. due to low vibration, cracks in the walls are excluded;
2. the most accurate cutting along pre-designated lines;
3. low noise level;
4. a small amount of dust and debris.

Despite the large number of advantages, this method has some disadvantages:

• high price of working material (diamond blades);
• regular cooling with water;
• high energy consumption.

Waterjet method

This method is less popular compared to the previous one, because the work uses sand and a jet of water under pressure. The speed of the water jet is 1000 m/s.

Water enters a special tank, where it is mixed with sand, from there the mixture under high pressure through a nozzle with a hole diameter of 0.4 mm is sent to the cutting site. To reduce the residual force of the jet, a water trap is used.

Cutting with water has the following advantages:

1. the cut location comes out precise and even;
2. concrete does not become hot during cutting, so there are no harmful fumes;
3. there is no strong noise or vibration during operation;
4. cutting can be done at any angle;
5. formation of openings of various shapes.

Disadvantages of water cutting:

• not applicable for apartments due to the large size of the fixture and water use;
• high cost of abrasive material.

Oxygen lance drilling or laser cutting

This type of work is carried out using a thick spear made in the shape of a pipe through which oxygen flows. The spear heats up to 1400°, at the end of which the temperature reaches 2000°.

The advantage of this type of cutting is as follows:

• accuracy and high efficiency of the method;
• minimum cutting width;
• maximum smoothness of edges and narrow heating zone;
• no edge deformation;
• Possibility of cutting concrete into different shapes.

Punching with a hammer drill and grinder

If you need to make an opening in a thin concrete wall, you can use a hammer drill and a good grinder. The discs are selected taking into account the thickness of the wall.

The advantages of this method include accessibility and low cost, but the disadvantages are that making an opening in a load-bearing concrete wall will require a lot of effort and time.

Strengthening a brick opening

Openings in load-bearing brick walls are made using a channel.

1. The first step is to make holes on both sides of the wall at the required height for installing channels. You need to calculate the lower level of the groove so that it runs along the bottom of the outermost brick. If the lintel rests on an incomplete brick, it may not withstand the pressure and crumble.
2. Install the channels strictly in a horizontal plane and fasten them together using pins.
3. Plaster the opening with concrete mortar.

Such structures are able to withstand the load from the building.
After the decorative finishing is completed, the metal elements will be invisible. They are covered with cement-sand mortar mixed in a ratio of 3:1. Then they are plastered, covered with wallpaper, finished with plasterboard, etc.

Reinforcement with channel profile

When working to strengthen a window or doorway in a brick wall, use:

• wall chaser (a tool in these circumstances is very useful, but expensive, but it can be replaced with a hammer drill or an angle grinder with a diamond wheel with a diameter of at least 200 mm);
• perforator;
• welding machine;
• studs with nuts and wide washers;
• wrenches or wrench;
• marking devices.

Options for strengthening openings with channels.

The outline of the future opening is drawn on the wall. The line of its top crossbar should coincide with the seam of the masonry. You need to drill through holes in the corners of the contour in order to make precise markings on the other side of the partition.

For channels in the wall, it is necessary to cut grooves with a depth and height corresponding to the dimensions of the profiles. The length of the steel crossbar should exceed the width of the opening by 1 m, so the niches for it should protrude beyond its edges by 0.5 m.

First, a groove is made on one side of the partition. A channel with holes drilled for the studs is inserted into it. It should fit tightly into the cavity prepared for it. Additionally, the channel is fixed in it with sand-cement mortar. After the mixture has hardened, the wall must be drilled through the holes in the profile.

Now knock out the groove from the back side. A second channel with holes drilled symmetrically to the holes of the first is inserted into it. The profiles are connected with pins. The nuts are screwed on top of the washers mounted on the fasteners. The second crossbar is also fixed in the cut-out niche with mortar.

After dismantling 2-3 rows of brickwork under the crossbar, steel plates need to be welded between the channels. The lintel, which can withstand the pressure of the structures located above it, is ready. You can continue to disassemble the masonry.

Installation of vertical supports

Door and wide window openings in load-bearing walls need additional reinforcement with vertical posts, which will take part of the load of the structure.

Jumper diagram with vertical posts.

Installation of vertical profiles is required if the opening width exceeds 1.5 m. In load-bearing brick walls, the racks are pairs of channels connected to each other by threaded fasteners and steel plates. The racks are welded to the channels of the horizontal lintel.

The method of installing vertical channels can be the same as when laying a horizontal crossbar. After they are secured, they begin to dismantle the brickwork within the marked perimeter.

The frame can be mounted differently. The supports are installed after cutting a hole in the wall. Pairs of channels, installed at the vertical parts of the opening, are connected to each other with steel strips. After installing the racks, a solution is placed in the voids between them. If the opening is reinforced in this way, then when calculating its width, the dimensions of the vertical supports should be taken into account. The steel frame will be even stronger if it is made closed. In this case, a jumper is welded between the supports in their lower part.

Reinforcement with corner profile

Strengthening the doorway in the interior brick partition is carried out using corners. Holes are first drilled in corresponding pairs of profiles. There is no need to cut out wide niches in the wall for corners. It is enough to make grooves in it, into which the profile shelves will completely fit.

First, a groove is cut from one side of the partition. A corner is inserted into it, through the holes of which marks are placed on the wall. After drilling through holes in it, a groove is made on the other side. A second corner is inserted into it. The crossbar elements are secured with fasteners. As with the installation of channels, the profiles are connected with steel jumpers.

If additional reinforcement of the doorway is necessary, its verticals are also framed with corners. They are connected by welding to the crossbar. Steel plates are welded between pairs of corners. Holes are made in them through which anchors will be inserted into the partition.

Sometimes it may be necessary to reinforce an old opening in the wall. In these cases, the window or doorway is bordered by a frame of channels or corners. She will take on part of the load.

The methods for installing the frame are practically no different from the methods described above for installing channel and angle profiles.

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Good day. Please consult: There is a private house 8*8 2 floors, the walls are brick (250 mm), the interfloor ceiling is wood. On the ground floor, for new openings 0.9 m and 1.4 m wide, what channel number should be used?

Alexander, unfortunately, they cannot answer your question. First of all, it is necessary to calculate the walls for the redistributed load after the opening is completed. Also take into account the location of the openings so that the brick wall is stable.

Good afternoon, how can I contact you to discuss the issue about jumpers? Now I’m traveling - I can’t always answer right away, but the question is relevant, I need to deal with it

Alexander, you can call me at 8-926-389-49-72 Pavel.

Good afternoon. Opening 1280. According to the project, box reinforcement with channels along the perimeter. Please tell me, is it possible to expand the reinforcement itself - space the pillars 60 cm apart from the boundaries of the opening and, accordingly, lengthen the horizontal part by 120 cm? And the second question: the project contains arches and their reinforcement - is it necessary to re-coordinate the project if the arches are abandoned? Thank you.

Hello, Valery. The possibility of expanding the opening should be determined by the designer who developed the reinforcement project. In a good way, the project needs to be re-coordinated so that the plans with arches do not go to the BTI. Otherwise they will draw their absence in red lines.

Pavel, thank you. This is not about widening the opening, but about increasing the perimeter of the reinforcement. The opening remains 1280. Just attach the racks not along the border of the opening, but wider.

Valery, unfortunately, you can’t do that anyway. The whole point of the reinforcement is that it frames the opening. Only if your calculation designer agrees to this.

Hello, please tell me, I have a 10-story building. Apartment on the 4th floor. The wall is monolithic, the wall thickness is 250 mm. I need to open a doorway 2200x900. How can I strengthen the wall? What materials should I use?

Good afternoon. What does it mean to open an opening? Do you mean to create a new opening in a load-bearing wall? The doorway is usually reinforced with a metal frame made of corners. However, you must obtain appropriate permission for this.

Good afternoon. Is it possible to increase a 1000 mm opening in a monolithic wall to 1700 mm, taking it into a frame with 63 corner plates with a pitch of 300-400 mm?

Hello, Sergey. The possibility of expanding the opening in a load-bearing wall is determined by the organization that authored the house project.

Hello! Answer me please! Nine-story panel house. The load-bearing wall on the first floor was demolished. The wall is 4 meters long and 16 cm thick. 3 meters out of 4 were demolished (a meter remained near the window). They reinforced it with channel 20. Is this channel enough? Or sound the alarm, they don’t have documents for redevelopment.

Good afternoon, Anna. It is best to write a complaint to the Housing Inspectorate so that an inspector can come to them for inspection. Demolition of 3 meters of a load-bearing wall out of 4 is very dangerous.

Thank you very much for the quick response. I'll run to write. Our house is also old - 35 years old.

Please tell me, is it possible to increase the height of an existing opening without reinforcement? We are talking about the P-43 series.

Hello. It is impossible to increase the height of an existing opening without reinforcement.

Tell me, is it possible to use channels instead of corners to strengthen the opening?

The use of channels for these purposes is problematic. The corners can be pressed tightly against the wall, while the channel is either greater than the thickness of the wall, or, on the contrary, smaller, which is why it cannot be pressed tightly against the wall.

2 channels, and tighten them with studs. Channel on edge, empty towards itself, and weld scarves.

Reinforcing the opening with a corner

One of the most effective ways to restore the load-bearing capacity of a wall after constructing an opening in it is to reinforce it with a corner. This profile has a number of advantages over the equally popular channel.

In particular, it is easier to install the corner flush with the wall. It fits more tightly to the wall, and it is easier to caulk the gaps between the corners and the wall with mortar to obtain a monolithic connection between the wall and the metal structure.

But channels are considered stronger than angles ; however, the choice of type of reinforcement is influenced not by established opinions, but by the decision of designers and engineers, depending on the required compensating load.

Reinforcing the opening with a corner photo:

So, let's look at the main types of corner metal structures . Reinforcement of the opening with a corner can be carried out along the perimeter (contour) of the opening with a welded U-shaped frame, or only with a lintel. As a rule, reinforcement along the perimeter is used for standard panel houses, the authors of which are SUE MNIITEP, and reinforcement with the help of jumpers is sometimes carried out in brick houses.

When reinforcing a doorway, the corners are fixed at its edges (overlapping or flush) and secured to the wall using anchors (pins made of angled reinforcement or chemical anchors). From the outside, the corners are connected by welding transverse plates (wedges) onto them. Then the gap between the corners is sealed with mortar. At the corners of the opening frame, small strapping corners can be additionally welded on top of the main corners.

To distribute the load on the floor slab, metal heels are welded from the corner under the frame supports.

When working with brick or wide concrete walls, as in the case of installing channels, reinforcing the opening with an angle can be carried out before cutting the opening. The corresponding grooves are made with a wall chaser, and corners are inserted into them, which will take on the load immediately after dismantling the wall section.

The corner for strengthening openings can be equal-flange (equal height and width of the shelves) or unequal-flange (different height and width of the shelves).

Standard openings with reinforcement according to standard projects of the State Unitary Enterprise MNIITEP in panel houses developed by this institute need to be reinforced only with unequal angles with dimensions 100x63x8 mm . This condition complicates the work, because unequal-flanged corner metal products are much less in demand in construction, and accordingly, not so much of it is produced, and the required assortment is more difficult to purchase.

To dismantle openings, the diamond cutting method is used as it is more effective and safe compared to traditional tools such as a hammer drill, grinder or sledgehammer. Diamond cutting leaves the edges of the openings perfectly even and smooth, so that the corners will fit better with the surface, while the edges of openings cut with primitive tools always require additional processing.

More about diamond cutting of openings

Additionally: Channel reinforcement

When you need to strengthen

If a new house is being built, then when drawing up the project, the most suitable method of strengthening door and window openings and arches is taken into account. But there are situations when it is necessary to strengthen the opening in an existing building.

Cases when it is necessary to strengthen openings:

1. If the walls of the building have become deformed, cracked due to time or mechanical damage. The technical condition of the house needs to be monitored. If cracks appear, the cement bonding layer is destroyed, or bricks fall out, restoration work must be urgently carried out. Timely measures taken will help keep the premises in good condition longer.
2. When redevelopment is carried out, the holes are widened or they are made in other places. In these cases, reinforcements are installed even before new openings are dismantled. First, you need to draw up a project for carrying out the work, after consulting with a specialist, whether it is possible to break through the wall in the chosen place, and whether this will weaken the structure of the building.
3. When replacing windows, you need to check before carrying out the work how strong the opening is, and, if necessary, pre-strengthen it before dismantling the old window.

Do I need permission?

First of all, you need to conduct a survey of the premises, inviting specialists to do this. If the house is already old and multi-storey, then due to its dilapidation it is unlikely to be able to obtain such permission. Another situation is when the neighbors above or below have already done redevelopment. Then the new door can only be made on the same level as the one in their apartment. Because placing openings in one wall at different levels can greatly weaken its load-bearing capacity.

In what cases is strengthening of openings performed?

There are only two cases when strengthening the openings is extremely important, otherwise not only the homeowners, but also their neighbors if the house is multi-story, risk being left without an apartment. These cases are:

1. When, over time or under the influence of external components, the window or door openings are cracked or otherwise deformed;
2. During the redevelopment process, when windows and doors are provided in other places.

Reinforcement of openings during redevelopment must be carried out in a short time so that the wall does not collapse.

Part for strengthening openings