Brick pillar minimum

[Andyk78]

Quick question, I am looking to for a single large window and french doors to a rear extension and windows guy has suggested a brick colum between the doors and window die to the window being quiet large (2400mm wide) he said this would help reinforce it and reduce the window shaking etc should the French doors be slammed shut. The brick column/pillar that separated the two will now reduce my doors or window size and I don't like that but do
see the sense in what he's saying. Question is are there regs on minimum size for the pillar/column of brick to separate, my brickie has said should be ok at a brick and a half which I can live with, but sometime else had said 2 bricks? Anyone have a surefire answe on this one?
Cheers[/code]

 

[tony1851]

According to the guidance to Part A of the Building Regs (concened with structure) the minimum width of brick pier between a window and door should be not less than 1/6 the combined width of window and door.

That said, it is only guidance and inspectors should be reasonable. One-and-a-half bricks is too small; two bricks should be OK if the window is not too tall; two-and-a- half bricks would be best, but would that take up too much space?

 

[^woody^]

A slim pier may well be acceptable structurally, but I really don't think it will do as your installer suggests to strengthen the frames. Anything less than 900 will still allow vibration and potentially crack from a heavy door ........ especially if cavity wall, and even more so if the pier is merely an intermediate pier beneath a single beam over both frames

 

[Andyk78]

Thanks tony/woody

Gutted as this is eating into my door and window sizes drastically, I may be prepared to just go for 2 bricks max and risk it at that as I have already sacrificed not having bifolds due to the budget so I at least want a whopping great window to console myself

 

[Andyk78]

Rather than start a new thread, anyone thoughts on windowsill height?
The dinning room will over loom the garden and I'm wanting to go about 600mm from floor level to the sill, but without it being finished at present I'm really struggling to imagine how it
Will look, the idea is the dining room table and chairs will be up close to this window and provide good views of the garden.
But then I'm thinking should be go a little higher with the sill to about the same height as the dinning table which is about 720mm doesn't sound a lot difference but just don't know what to do and the builders round tomorrow to brick it up????? Helppppp, anyone have a view on this and what may look best from all you builders out there that are in the know?

 

[^woody^]

I don't know what the answer is, other than generally cills should line up with something, not be an arbitrary height

 

[tony1851]

I don't think the cills should necessarily line up with anything. It's the heads of windows and doors which ideally should line up with each other.

(That's the only useful thing I learnt from the boss when I was doing my training).

 

[Andyk78]

Thanks lads, although you share different views I kind of agree with both, Tony spot on with the doors and windows being the same level at the top (I'm OCD with things and wouldn't have it any other way than as you say) and Woody I think you may be right that the sill should line up with the table height as if say someone wante to rest a drink on there say whilst at the table at least they wouldn't appear to be almost reaching down and under the table to do this, although if they do put a drink on the sill whilst they are at the table there will be hell to play haha....let them off if there is a coaster under it !!!!