Toothing in to existing building

[hogey]

Hi there,

I am not a bricky but have done a little bit with an uncle years ago and have bought a course online and been watching intently to be able to build a wall.

I need to put a gable end on an existing brick garage so that I can put a normal size door on. I have started off pretty well toothing in as I am going and keeping things plum and level. The gauge however is a slightly different matter because the building is old it is slightly off in certain places such as 16mm, then 12mm then 17mm etc mortar beds between courses I am at about my 10th course now and for some reason one side appears to be higher than the other so what i am left with is a large gap from my level wall and where the tooth sticks out. Is there anyway to pack this to level it all or do I cut bricks to accomodate.
What would a real bricky do to level this off?

Thanks

Pig Developing

• hogey
• 29 Aug 2010
• 3

Pig Developing

• hogey
• 29 Aug 2010
• 3

 

[stuart45]

You have got a bit of a problem here, because you have got 12 courses to go on one end and 13 on the other. You should always count down from the top when doing brickwork, or you can enter up with a grunter in the wall.

 

[hogey]

Hi there,

the total amount of courses counted from the top are 30 on both sides, you cant see on the photo but it goes a little higher.
Any other ideas?

 

[stuart45]

If you have got the same number of courses on each side to reach the top, then just carry on running it in to the line, as it will finish up right at the top. It must be that there is a big difference in the joint sizes on each side. From the photo it looks like there is a pig in it.

 

[hogey]

Hi there,

whats a pig?

thanks

 

[Deluks]

You need to call in the professionals, AKA Fudgeit & Claddit Ltd

 

[stuart45]

It's when the brickie on one corner builds the wall to the correct height at say 30 courses and the one at the other corner gets to the same height with 29 or 31 courses by making the bed joints a bit bigger or smaller. It is not that uncommon on site.
When the wall is run in it gets more and more out of level.

 

[hogey]

Hi there,

That seems familiar with this building, what is the correct way to fix it? Do i need to cut some slim bricks to pack it?

or is there another way?

 

[stuart45]

Don't put a split brick course into face work as it will look a mess. If you have an equal number of courses to the top, and the top is level, then as you run it in to the line it will level up.
In hindsight it might have been better not to toothe out, but to set the brickwork back a couple of inches from the piers and either use wall starter kits or frame cramps fixed to the piers to tie in.
As the bricks and mortar don't match it looks better to have it set back as a different panel. This is often done as a feature on new houses with windows and sometimes doors, copying the old style of bricking up windows because of the tax.

 

[^woody^]

Whats occuring there with that doorway ..... is it a house from The Shires as it seems a bit high at the bottom and low at the top

And you say you need to put a gable on the garage, but where is the gable?

Anyway, that timber at the top does not look like it is built into anything, so why can't it be levelled up or levelled off (ie cut) if its thin enough.

Or put a plant-on cover piece to hide the out of levelness

The brickwork don't look too bad though

Another option would have been to have used the external corner as the reference for guage and level and run the line across from there and bonded (or block bonded) into the other side, and pointed it as best as you could to blend it in, or masked it with a timber/fence post, downpipe etc if possible

 

[theoldun]

From photos would agree with Stuart, you have got a bit of best Danish frying in the middle.
Metric gauge for door frame is 2100 and works 28 course.
Imperial gauge for door fame is 6ft10- 1/2 ins works either brick on edge under frame or big bed and 27 course.
Mark out top of door frame on one side, put a straight edge across and see if you are working courses from one side to other. If you are, then you are home and dry. Throw your line away and work freehand on each pier levelling out each course from the toothings. As long as you hit head of frame each side level, will not notice if you have got 27 course one side and 28 the other.
On your right hand pier, it would appear that you are already running out of level.
If you are not level at top of frame, then come back and will tell you what to do.
oldun.

 

[hogey]

Hi all,

Ok, so I read some more books and stuff and it said to put in a frame for the door to ensure its stays square, done. Also, following your comments I have packed up the mortar higher and put some galvanised wall ties in at different points, to both tie in the wall and provide further strength.

In answer to one of your questions its high at the bottom because the building is lower than the rest of the house and I am bringing it all up to the same level. I will attach another few photos so you can see what I am trying to do.

We already have an existing extension and doing it this way as the building is only a shed means I dont need planning permission. once the wall is completed I will need to put a roof on, I've bought marley ludlow tiles.


p.s. there are two existing and two proposed

New frame and wooden lap removed

• hogey
• 30 Aug 2010
• 1

Existing1

• hogey
• 30 Aug 2010
• 1

existing 2

• hogey
• 30 Aug 2010
• 1

proposed 1

• hogey
• 30 Aug 2010
• 1

Proposed 2

• hogey
• 30 Aug 2010
• 1

 

[hogey]

p.s. thanks for all your replies its much appreciated. this is quite hard as I have never really attempted anything like this before.

 

[noseall]

Or put a plant-on cover piece to hide the out of levelness

Is this a real word, a building term or an Americanism?

 

[Deluks]

None of the above!