Blocking up a back door

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Blocking up a back door
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sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 12:54 pm Post subject: Blocking up a back door
I'm going to be blocking up our back door and I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you peeps can help me with. 1, When I put the DPM in do I put it down, plop a mortar layer on it and then a brick or should I mortar, DPM and brick on top? 2, If possible can I fill the whole back door gap in in one day or should I only go so far up to allow the mortar to dry? Thank you.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 3:40 pm Post subject:
Cavity or Solid construction. Personally I prefer to lay a thin bed first to hold DPC then carry on bricking as normal,but on site its rolled out on footings and a mortar bed laid ready for bricks. If your cutting indents or using profiles it can be done in a day.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 4:14 pm Post subject:
Ty, It's a cavity wall. I will be cutting indents (I think you mean removing every other short brick) as I want it to be a tidy looking job.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 5:28 pm Post subject:
Yes,that is what I mean.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 7:20 pm Post subject:
Won't this prevent swift exit in the event of say, a chip pan fire? Henry

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8918
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 18 8:55 pm Post subject:
just what I was thinking buzzy. Lived in a small house 2013-2016 with only one outside door...only one room didn't feel like a death trap,and that was because the main living room had windows you could climb out of....

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 1:44 am Post subject:

not a comment on the details but about procedure

can i do it in a day?
if the prep is done properly filling the hole is fairly rapid if the mix , both sets of bricks, the temperature and skill set are all correct for the job and on site.

hint best make sure the brick sizes match

hint 2 plan for weather

hint 3 establish the correct mix and wetting regime for the bricks involved before going for it.

i have done things to buildings , i very recently bricked up a window but then i added more metal and rendered it, it looks ok both sides but it is reinforced fine concrete with a brick core
i moved a brick down 2 courses to move the air vent up , invisible . that was one brick and a lot of practice
if i want more than a couple of bricks in a hole to be an "invisible mend" i pay a very skilled and usually semi retired brickie to do it.

maybe split the job ,you do prep and basics but get a old hand pro to choose the loaf, butter the bread and make the sarnie ?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 10:38 am Post subject:

Buzzy and GZ, we are currently having the kitchen and dining room knocked into one. The dining room has patio doors so that will be our escape route but thank you for your concern.

Ty and DPack, thank you for that. I'll be getting the prep work done first ( day one) and then bricking up the back door (day two).

One last question, the DPM do I put it just under the brick that will be the one just below floor level?

Thank you.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 11:17 am Post subject:
You want the inside DPC on top of the plastic membrane that should have been brought up over the brick footings when the slab was laid,this should be roughly 2inches below finished floor level,check the concrete section in doorway, The outside DPC is usually 2 courses below,but incase not,just follow outside DPC level.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 11:34 am Post subject:
Thanks Ty. Much appreciated.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 12:31 pm Post subject:
there can be time delay issues if you need to source matching bricks, rarity and/or out of stock for a few months is not unknown in brickworld so sourcing them asap is sensible.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 1:29 pm Post subject:
I've got my bricks DPack. All I need to pick up is the sand and cement for my mortar mix, the wall ties, my dense blocks and my cavity insulation, which I'll be getting either tonight or tomorrow.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 4:46 pm Post subject:

if there is any chance of frost get some frost protector additive ( the sort for bricking mortar ) and an old carpet to cover the outside

the only problem with that is you will probably have most of the bottle left over. iirc it does not take much. it does make the mortar a bit softer so reduce amount of the gauging water added first off till you work it out
on sd's house my 10 t or so of concrete and mortar has just about used a litre of waterproofer

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 18 4:58 pm Post subject:

ps good hand cream helps avoid cement burn if you dont like working in gloves.

pps re ties etc stainless steel is better than galvanised if they are available and within budget

A HUGE PS

have you checked that the existing arch/lintel are of sound condition?

have you considered how the new bricks/blocks will lock into them?

helifix stainless steel rod bar is very useful stuff

but there are assorted ready made products for the job

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Fri Nov 16, 18 11:20 am Post subject:

Thanks for all that DPack.

I'll keep an eye on the weather to see what it's doing. A website said the minimum temp for mortar should be no lower than 5 degrees. I know what you mean about having lots left over, I bought a bottle of plasticiser to do a bit of pointing and I could only find a 5 ltr one

thankfully it will come in on this job as well.

I'm going with stainless steel ties £8 something for 50 from Wickes.

The lintel is a big concrete looking slab above the back door (I'll post pictures this weekend) and I was going to work my way up and then if needs be angle grind the bricks to size at the very top.

I was looking under the kitchen floor last night and there is a gap of about 4 foot under the house. Would it be advisable to lift some of the floorboards and get some kind of insulation under them, between the joists?

Thanks.

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