How many acrows do i need?

[maximus999]

Hi all, I have an internal door which I want to widen by another 10 inches, up above there is 7 courses of bricks which is not a load bearing wall. How many acrows would i need along with the strong arm.

Many thanks for any replies Ian

 

[geraint]

Hi all, I have an internal door which I want to widen by another 10 inches, up above there is 7 courses of bricks which is not a load bearing wall. How many acrows would i need along with the strong arm.

Many thanks for any replies Ian

none.

 

[^woody^]

You're a 'n' too many geraint .. its one ..... for the strong boy

 

[maximus999]

Guys I am confused, did he mean to say one?

 

[Static]

Guys I am confused, did he mean to say one?

Best ignore anything Geraint posts.
One strong boy should be more than enough to stop any bricks falling out.

 

[maximus999]

Thanks for the advise, whats up with his posts? should he be on cowboy builders?

 

[Static]

Thanks for the advise, whats up with his posts? should he be on cowboy builders?

No idea, i think he has forum tourettes..

 

[geraint]

You're a 'n' too many geraint .. its one ..... for the strong boy

I am not strong

 

[geraint]

Guys I am confused, did he mean to say one?

Best ignore anything Geraint posts.
One strong boy should be more than enough to stop any bricks falling out.

I doubt that any brickwork would fall

But as a structural question...

By chopping in a strongboy over a doorway,,, you will be disturbing whats above...
Far easier to do want you want and make good after, If you have to...

 

[noseall]

By chopping in a strongboy over a doorway,,, you will be disturbing whats above...

...yes, if the o.p. goes at it with a sledgehammer.

Alternatively, you can stitch drill a slit with a 10mm masonry bit and only damage the bed joint....

Why the negativity Grrrrr?

 

[joe-90]

When it comes to openings, if you draw an equilateral triangle above the opening with a bit of chalk - only the complete bricks within that triangle are able to fall. All the others are locked in and cannot fall even if you wanted them to.

 

[^woody^]

... only the complete bricks within that triangle are able to fall.

In the text books yes, but what you tend to find is that this relies on solid hard joints and a load pressing down from above on either side

Walls with softened/powdery joints or hollow joints and no load above like the OP's can just all drop inwards

Geraint has a point in that sometimes it is easier to just take down the wall above, or just leave it and see it is does drop or stays put. Even with a strong boy bricks either side can still drop, so you're no better off time or making good wise

Another option is a piece of timber or ply across the head and past the opening width, with several hammerfix screws into the wall to hold it in place

 

[joe-90]

I don't see how as they all fall against each other. Even dry bricks and no mortar do the same.

 

[^woody^]

In the OP's case, there is no height above the opening for the magic triangle to form - it's truncated so there is no top point to equalise the forces ... so its effectively a flat arch ... or just a course of unsupported bricks relying on friction

If the joints are soft, then they crumble.

And whatever can drop vertically will tend to do just that

 

[seasickstevie]

You get 7 courses with a load of open perps, which is not unusual in a 4-1/2" old internal wall, with no load pressure, it would not be unusual to find a strong boy a total waste of time. The lot could just drop. Even with the strong boy, they could easily dislodge either side.

But having said that, if you've got one it might be worth using it in the hope that it works and means a lot less cleaning up to do.