Bricking up a doorway

[bsr]

Hello a couple of noddy questions please. I'm bricking up a 2'3" doorway in a structural wall using aerated block. I estimate the opening to be 730mm wide.

How should I tie in? Do I need wall starters / frame cramps? Every row or every other row? Previously I've used the wall starter systems where you bolt a profile to the wall and slide strips up and down but they might be overkill?

If using frame cramps do you drill plug and fix all the cramps at once, or do it as you go up the wall (I'm thinking about brick dust on the beds).

The wall will be wet plastered with hardwall to match existing. Would you knock off the plaster say 5cm onto the existing blockwork and use scrim in the hardwall on the mortar joints to prevent cracking?

Thanks


bsr

 

[bsr]

Oh, and can I do all 10 courses in one go, or is there a limit to how many courses in a day so the mortar isn't pushed out?

 

[noseall]

Wall starters actually save time as opposed to using say frame ties individually fixed. Having said that, a couple of 6" nails hammered into the neighbouring blockwork does the same thing.

You can lay as many courses as you like.

 

[mikeey84]

Oh, and can I do all 10 courses in one go, or is there a limit to how many courses in a day so the mortar isn't pushed out?

I struggled to do more than 5-6 courses of 7n blocks in one day due to movement, but then I am a fairly inexperienced amateur!

 

[noseall]

I struggled to do more than 5-6 courses of 7n blocks in one day due to movement

This situation requires a couple of blocks locked in between two walls with wall starters. My niece could build it. There will be no stability issues.

 

[mikeey84]

Well that's what I did, but they still wobbled a lot above 5 or 6 courses.

Having never done it before, I was slightly concerned, so finished it the next day.

I'm sure more experienced brickies would have chuckled.

 

[noseall]

Well that's what I did, but they still wobbled a lot above 5 or 6 courses

You have to make sure the perp's are full and the beds aren't too thick and the blocks well tapped down.

 

[mikeey84]

I had enough trouble just stopping the mortar falling off the perps to be honest!

I'd never make it on site.

 

[stuart45]

If the blocks are wet, and you make the bed joints too big, you can get problems.

 

[bsr]

Help, have barely started and have a problem already!

The walls are in fact hollow terracotta block. The blocks have been cut so that behind the door carcass are the hollow centre of the blocks. Nothing to tie into! The carcass is fixed with foam and a couple of frame fixings into mortar.

What do you suggest? I could omit the ties, or I could leave the carcass in place, trim it back 15mm on each side using a track saw and chisel, and tie into it.

 

[mikeey84]

What country are you in?

 

[bsr]

 

[bsr]

I'm in the UK

 

[mikeey84]

Interesting, I asked as I didn't think terracotta blocks were used in this country

 

[bsr]

Noseall, what do you suggest please? How best to tie in to hollow terracotta?

Thank you!

Help, have barely started and have a problem already!

The walls are in fact hollow terracotta block. The blocks have been cut so that behind the door carcass are the hollow centre of the blocks. Nothing to tie into! The carcass is fixed with foam and a couple of frame fixings into mortar.

What do you suggest? I could omit the ties, or I could leave the carcass in place, trim it back 15mm on each side using a track saw and chisel, and tie into it.