bricking up a window

[Stephen]

Hello,

I have a window in my garage that is completely rotten and beyond repair. How easy is it to DIY remove the rotten frame and brick it up? I haven't done any brickwork before! So is this something I could do, or would I need more experience first? Should I get someone in and what sort of figure will they charge?

Thanks, Stephen.

[jim]

ideal start - go on have a go yourself - if the frames rotten the biggest risk will be slicing your arteries on the glass when you carefully take it out.. after that the frame should basically fall apart with a few pokes and belts from your medium/large hammer

Presumably as it's your garage you aren't going to be too bothered how neat it ends up? (despite how hard you can be bothered to try - tis for practice after all?)

measure the opening, decide how many bricks you need they arenlt expensive so buy a good few more "just in case" - wickes will sell you bags of "mortar" - sand with a small bag of cement inside - repeat til done!

Enjoy Jim

[Roger Mills]

It would be a lot easier to replace the window! You can get a new uPVC frame made to fit the opening easily enough.

It's very difficult to brick up an opening without it *looking* like a bricked-up opening. To do a proper job you need to get matching bricks - which may not be easy, particularly if the garage was built with imperial sized bricks - and you need to take out the half-bricks either side of the window so that the new ones key in properly.

An alternative is to make a 'feature' of it - using bricks which are intentionally different (good contrast better than bad match, and all that), keeping the existing outline without cutting out the half-bricks, and insetting the new bricks about 15mm.

[Stephen]

Thanks for the encouragement.

There is a concrete lintel above the window. Should I leave that alone or take that out too?

Do I need to support the roof when I take the window out?

Is there a bricklaying FAQ to help me? Buying ready-mixed mortar will help, but what about adding water? What consistency do I need to mix it to? As long as I follow the instructions on the bag, will I be alright?

Have I got this right: I chisel out the half bricks around the frame, apply a layer of mortar the same thickness as on the exiting brickwork, place a new brick on, and work my way up?

How do I fill the gap above the last brick?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Leave it there is easiest.

Not if there's a lintel.

I would suggest practicing first. People usually start by building a plain wall. You could do it using just sand and water, and the bricks you buy for the job. When you take it down, leave the bricks very loosely piled (with big air gaps) to dry out before using them again. You could even practice bricking up some of the window with just a sand and water mortar to see how easy/difficult it is, before taking down and using cement in the mortar. (Be careful of the possibility of it falling out, particularly if your ability to get it vertical is someway short of the mark.)

Sort of. There are things to consider such as getting the rows straight and level, getting the brick faces and the brickwork vertical, getting the brick spacing even and the perps in line, pointing, etc. The sort of thing a brickie is trained to do.

By pointing it all the way through, using a drier mix than normal so it doesn't shrink (and preferably after the lower rows have set enough to have done their shrinking).

[jim]

no leave that alone it's holding the rest of the garage above the window up. If it was a house then yes I would take itout buta) it's a garage, b) you're new to this

no unless the lintel above window is obviously cracking/falling out/ dubious - if it is - call a builder

try a google

consistency is a bit trial and error to start - it should be wet yet hold it's shape - bit like a cow pat - check the FAQ you will get the hang of it soon enough - remember it's cheap! buy an extra bag - if you don;t need it Wickes will take it back and refund...

I wouldn't bother with the 1/2 bricks just brick it up as is, you could try and take one 1/2 out - if it's easy and you can be bothered then OK do it - I would be worried about knocking more than just the

1/2 bricks out.......depends on how good the rest of the garage is (apart from the window :>))

See if your "new" bricks are the same size as the old, a) if they are do as you suggest - tho cut all your halves first so that you can just bosh them in when you've mixed your mortar; b) if not you won't be able to match the courses as you describe so will have to ensure you end up with a reasonable brick&mortar sized last row - or you;ll be p**ing about for ages- so measure hole and divide by total of "height of brick" + "1 layer of mortar say 10mm"- if it's nearly exact adjust your mortar thickness figure up or down so that you fill the hole without having to cut bricks horizontally.....

see above and.... butter all sides of the brick with mortar and gently persuade it in - you could save some mortar (dry) to one side, brick up the window except for top row - leave that to go off overnight then mix up fresh mortar and do last row - that would prolly be easier.

This is DIY book stuff by the way - ask for a good one on your Xmas list

hope it helps tho please don't try and sue me if you run into difficulties! Jim