Question for the builders/diy types

neatbik · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Karma :

Hi, im currently sorting out my garden and shed. I'd like to be able to put my bike away in my brick shed, but the doorway is stupidly narrow so it wont fit.
What i'd like to do is knock out some brickwork, and fit a nice new door and frame. The old frame is knackered and needs replacing anyway.
Ive marked in red where i would like it extended to -

https://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y205/slider2/shed.jpg

Now, is this something i can do myself with a bit of research, or am i better off getting a builder to do it. How hard can it be.....? Laughing

How much would a builder (roughly) charge for this?
Cheers Karma

Dischord · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 May 2005 Karma :

Do as much of it as you can! Buy the frame (don't forget to haggle, you really can save like £20-£40 on most things from a builders merchant just by haggling a bit) and then knock the wall down yourself to the correct size!

Brickies around here are £140 to £300 a day but it's not even a days work if they have a clue. I reckon that rate will vary greatly from one place to another!
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Ghost · Could Be A Chat Bot Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Karma :

You'd need to widen it to your measurement and knock out a brick or two either side at the top for a lintel. Support the wall with acros and replace the top line of bricks with a wooden beam or similar to serve as the lintel, then knock out the bricks you've got sticking out or replace with half bricks and stick your frame and door in. That's how I'd do it anyway, if you're not sure probably best to get someone who knows what theyre doing in Thumbs Up

plugger147 · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Karma :

Personally I'd do it myself, first thing your going to have to do is remove the frame and prop the brickwork and fit a lintel.

Shamelessly copied from another site:

What you normally do is poke a few "needle holes" through the wall just above the lintel location .These are large enough to slot a bit of hardwood through the wall.. you need to extend that timber about 600mm on either side of the wall.... then you prop the hardwood on both sides of the wall tightly (the acro props must bear onto something very solid at the base.. something that isn't going to deflect under the load - so you need to consider the adequacy of the floor structure)... You would put those needles at closer centers if you don't have much brickwork above the head of the new opening.... but say about 600 mm centers max if you have a meter of brickwork above the head of the new opening. Then you saw cut the brickwork to be removed... and then you carefully remove it without hitting the temporary props ... then you install the new lintel sized appropriately to carry the load of the brickwork and any point load of the roof above... and then you grout the brickwork to the lintel using non shrink grout, remove the needles infilling one at a time as you go.

Then hire a disc cutter and try and cut out the brickwork as neatly as possible (I hate filling in) before fitting your framework.
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neatbik · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Karma :

Cheers guys, i reckon i'll have a crack at it myself then Thumbs Up

I cant give out anymore karma today, but i'll fling some over tomorrow Thumbs Up