Widening the doorway to a brick built cupboard

[pmxcrw]

Hi,

I have a built in cupboard in our bathroom, and we want to fit our washing machine into it. The washing machine will fit comfortably inside, but the doorway is slightly too narrow to get the machine in. I have taken off the doorframe but still need to widen by about 4cm.

Having taken out the frame I can see that the wall is constructed out of breeze blocks, which are 9 inches high by 2 inches thick (can't tell how wide they are). The doorframe was made out of timber that was 3 inches square (which seemed very thick to me, although the property is almost 100 years old, so maybe they just over-engineered back then).

I think it's highly unlikely that the wall is load bearing, given the thickness of the blocks (some of the other walls are 11 inches thick), but do I need to get a structural engineer / building inspector etc. to take look before i just remove some more bricks? The property is a third floor flat in a 6 storey block, I have no idea what direction the floor supports are running in (how would I check?).

Also, will I need to fit a lintel once I've widened the doorway? there are only 3 inches of brickwork above the doorway.

 

[JerryM]

Just on the face of it i think it's sounds that the brickwork is not supporting - breezeblock cupboard has been introduced when the building was converted to flats.

To be sure you need to establish if there is a wall above the breezeblock abutment (not the walls of the bathroom). draw a plan of the area and take measurements from fixed points (ie walls) to locate the breezeblock wall. Then ask the neighbour above if you can check in their flat (above your bathroom) to see what is above the breezeblock wall.

Knowing the direction of the joists (floorboards @ 90 deg to joists) is useful when checking whether a full "main" wall is supporting the floor joists. Because the breezeblock wall is at 90 deg to the main wall and only the size of a cupboard then i don't believe it's supporting the joists.

 

[pmxcrw]

Hi, and many thanks for the reply. The flat is part of a six storey purpose built flat, and there is a similar cupboard built in all of the flats. I strongly suspect that the cupboard has been there since the flats were built.

In that case there is definitely another wall above the doorway I want to widen, but only a similar (i.e. 2 inch wide) breezeblock wall.

The floorboards in the adjacent hallway run perpendicular to the cupboard wall containing the doorway. However the back of the cupboard (i.e. parallel to the doorway) is a thick wall separating the bathroom (running the length of both rooms) so I assume that this is bearing the load (if any).

There are two much thicker walls (separating the bedrooms from the hallway and the sitting room from the hallway / main bedroom). These are perpendicular to each other, but 11 inches thick (so I presume they must be load bearing). All of the other walls in the flat are about 4 inches.

Is there anything more I can do to be certain I wouldn't re moving part of a load bearing wall?

 

[JerryM]

The floorboards in the adjacent hallway run perpendicular to the cupboard wall containing the doorway

This means that the floor joists in the hallway run parallel with the cupboard wall. I would expect the bathroom joists to be in the same direction (although not a certainty). This means the wall is most likely not supporting the floor.

However it may be supporting the same cupboard walls in the flats above.

The doorframe at 3” square was quite a lot bigger than would have been expected (typ 1” thk) and probably was supporting the 3” brickwork (presume breeze block) above the opening.

There is probably now nothing holding this 3” breeze block up.

Conscious of options being ott given that you need 40mm additional opening but also to safeguard the interests of the flats above.

Safest would be to introduce a concrete lintel below the 3” breezeblock across the opening going 150mm into the blockwork either side for support. Because the wall is breezeblock which is prone to cracking then laying the lintel on pad stones (concrete pads) would be advisable. The concrete lintels come in standard sizes and would need to be installed upright to match the 2” wall thickness. The length would need to be the existing opening +40m extra opening + 150 either side supporting. The ht of the lintel to be typ 10mm below the breeze block to allow infilling with mortar once the lintel supports have been left for 24hrs. Then cut out the extra 40mm opening width.

The alternative is to remove the breezeblock above the opening (if unsupported) or add back a timber lintel just to support the bricks. Then cut the extra 40mm opening width.

To decide which way to go you need to know what happens to the breezeblock above the opening in the ceiling void – does it just end in the floor void or does it support joists. The only way to find out would be to remove the plaster on the breeze blocks inside the cupboard and probably some of the ceiling. If the breezeblock in the opening supports joists then option 1 (probably best to get a builder) otherwise option 2. From the description of the floorboards it sounds like option 2 but until checked you can’t be sure.

 

[pmxcrw]

Hi, thanks for the additional help.

The top of the doorframe (which is also 3" square timber) extends into the brickwork, so I assumed was acting as a timber lintel for the blockwork above the doorway. I have left this in place, although it would clearly need replacing (either with timber or concrete lintel) once the doorwary was extended, since it would then be unsupported on one side.

I was worried about the thickness of the upright timbers, and remain concerned that they were providing structural support (although was advised by others that timber would not be used for structural support in a blockwork wall, which seems reasonable).

 

[memor maplin]

Instead of messing about cant you buy a thinner washing machine.

Measure the width of the frame and hurry down to Comet.

Sure they'll oblige.

 

[JerryM]

The top doorframe timber is clearly a lintel. I would have expected it to extend 150 either side into the brickwork to achieve a reasonable bearing surface. Had this been the case then taking 40mm off would not have been a problem.

The upright side timbers would not have been used as structural support.

If it's not possible to squeeze the 40mm additional opening from the existing lintel then new is required replicating the existing bearing surface either side of the new opening. It would be advisable to use acro props around the area as a temp support if the lintel is changed. I don't believe there will be sufficient access to support the breezblock itself. (normal practice of planks termed needles extending through holes created above the opening in the brickwork or plate fitted to acro termed strong man).