Cutting through dry stone wall

[FinbarBradley]

Hi There,
I am looking to cut a doorway through a dry stone wall and am looking to avoid the entire shed collapsing on top of me. It is an old cattle shed made of all sorts of odd pieces of stone and roughly 400mm thick. There is currently nothing cut through this wall which is what makes it so difficult.

Does any body know of a method to do this?
How do i stop the entire wall coming down before a lintel is placed in?

I realize that the easy solution is not to bother however, who doesn't love a challenge?!?

Regards,
FINBAR

 

[noseall]

You would normally needle all the 'masonry' above the opening then take down the rough door size opening. You would needle say a foot or so each side greater than the finished opening

The jambs would then be built back up in say brick (possibly off a new foundation) tieing into the stonework so that the brick can form a neat opening.

The other option is to locate or dress some stone so that you have straight edges to form the sides or jambs.

You would then put your lintel in and build back up under your needles.

 

[pinenot]

Would I be right in presuming this is a single storey built shed and could I therefore suggest you take the slap (aperture) full height and wider than the width required (supporting any joist/rafters) prior. Place a lintel in the resulting slap top with full wall width supporting door frames, and rebuild the the wall either side of these with some form of vertical support?
View media item 60861 ...pinenot