Frontage.

[noseall]

I was asked to remove some existing blockwork and replace it with brickwork to match the existing. As you can see in the image below, the frontage to this house was intended for a full lean-to canopy which the builder never got around to building before selling.

The new owners just want a simple gable ended gallows bracketed, open porch, which I will be doing in the coming months.

The question is - how would you go about removing the blocks and building the new brick panel. The only stipulation the customer wanted was full access to the front door due to very young grandchildren and daycare.

Questions like...

Scaffold - permanent or a temporary tower?

Propping quantity or lack of...?

Rip the whole lot out or do it in bits?

How long will it take?

How much will it cost?

I have completed it and have some photos, but I'd like some answers to the questions above if you fancy a bit of fun. The house was built in the late 1990's using partial fill method.

Frontage1

• noseall
• 2 Jun 2017

 

[Ian H]

Start bottom left and work across at a downwards 45degree angle, permanent scaffold bridging the door.

No propping, 2days, £2200.

 

[noseall]

Start bottom left and work across at a downwards 45degree angle, permanent scaffold bridging the door.

No propping, 2days, £2200.

Not bad young man, not bad. Like your thought process. How would you level your work and ensure continuity of brickwork coursing?
All will be revealed soon....

 

[Doggit]

Permanent scaffold set at door height. Bar across the top row of blocks drilled to secure them, and then a strong boy to support that row. Take out all the blocks below, and then build the new bricks till you can take out the top blocks.

 

[noseall]

Permanent scaffold set at door height. Bar across the top row of blocks drilled to secure them, and then a strong boy to support that row. Take out all the blocks below, and then build the new bricks till you can take out the top blocks.

Strong boys project outwards about 18". Also falling masonry needs to be prevented from striking the windows and doors and their respective sills.
In other words, the guy doing the demolishing needs to be close to the masonry as to catch it, then the scaffold needs to be far enough away to allow props and strongboys.

 

[Doggit]

That's why I set the bar across the top row and secured the blocks. That allows the strong boys to to be set far enough apart not interfere with the scaffolding planks to catch the blocks.

 

[noseall]

Oh and the bloody first floor window sills were both cracked.

 

[noseall]

That's why I set the bar across the top row and secured the blocks. That allows the strong boys to to be set far enough apart not interfere with the scaffolding planks to catch the blocks.

Risky.
Blocks could also damage the newly laid masonry.

 

[Doggit]

I think you're cheating Noesall. Agatha Christie would have been impressed with you.

Seriously though. I assume you had to go higher then to get the window sills out to replace them. How/where did you get the new ones made up.

Risky: not really
Blocks could also damage the newly laid masonary. That's why you secure the blocks so they can't fall, or did you secure to the damaged sills as they had to be replaced, ad fix the securing bar to the side walls, or at them.

 

[^woody^]

The scaffold could go just above the door frame to give access, and overlaid with ply or hardboard and screened.

Then I'd probably saw the blocks vertically in to panels 1m or so, build the two ends three bricks in to allow for the line to be pinned to each course in the same place as the rest of the panels are done consecutively.

Rake the joints, to be pointed as one at the end.

 

[noseall]

The scaffold could go just above the door frame to give access, and overlaid with ply or hardboard and screened.

Then I'd probably saw the blocks vertically in to panels 1m or so, build the two ends three bricks in to allow for the line to be pinned to each course in the same place as the rest of the panels are done consecutively.

Rake the joints, to be pointed as one at the end.

Not bad Woods, but still a wee bit faffy for my liking. I started Thursday morning and needed to be finished by close of play Friday. My plan needed to be quicker than your method. Retrospective pointing would have added more time too.

The scaffold could go just above the door frame to give access,

Too High for me, I hate bending down. A bit risky as well in view of the acrow/strongboy positioning. The acrows needed priority.

 

[noseall]

I think you're cheating Noesall. Agatha Christie would have been impressed with you.

Seriously though. I assume you had to go higher then to get the window sills out to replace them. How/where did you get the new ones made up.

No replacement of existing sills just the headache of making sure that they did not shift position and cause the crack to become more obvious. And the fact that the sills are no longer in one piece makes propping slightly more challenging. A large percentage of the existing headers are cracked.

How/where did you get the new ones made up

I did a job on this property in 2014 whereby we converted half the double garage into habitable space. I got the stone headers made in a place in Cannock staffs. Wot a faff! I must have been to the Stone place 5 times taking tmplates, photos etc etc. The header was really heavy and quite friable (bad combination) and had to be man handled into position.

 

[Ian H]

How would you level your work and ensure continuity of brickwork coursing?.

I wouldn't, I'd get them to pay me in full before I started!!!

 

[noseall]

I bet the suspense was killing you......

Frontage1

• noseall
• 2 Jun 2017

Frontage2

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage3

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage4

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage5

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage6

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage7

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage8

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage9

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

Frontage10

• noseall
• 4 Jun 2017

 

[noseall]

P.S. Took two days and I priced it at £1'120.