How to remove naily wood embedded in wall?

[myheadisonbackwards]

My garage door has been bricked up from within, so the door frame is full of mortar and concrete blocks. I now need to remove the timber that is partially embedded in the wall.

This is tough, because it is full of large and small nails, which I have not been able to identify very well with a small metal detector. So I have destroyed a nice wood chisel already, not knowing there was a nail in the way.

Can anyone advise me on how to get this done? I am thinking that maybe a diamond cutting wheel in my 5-inch angle grinder could hack the wood and nails up enough that it would then be easy (ish) to lever out what is left. Especially if I cut at an angle to the surface. Do you think that would work?

Thanks, David P.

[John Rumm]

Sounds like a job for a reciprocating saw with a "timber with nails in" blade in it. Drill a pilot hole somewhere, to get the blade in, then chop away as required.

[Dave Fawthrop]

|! |!My garage door has been bricked up from within, so the |!door frame is full of mortar and concrete blocks. I now need |!to remove the timber that is partially embedded in the wall. |! |!This is tough, because it is full of large and small nails, |!which I have not been able to identify very well with a small |!metal detector. So I have destroyed a nice wood chisel |!already, not knowing there was a nail in the way. |! |!Can anyone advise me on how to get this done? I am |!thinking that maybe a diamond cutting wheel in my 5-inch |!angle grinder could hack the wood and nails up enough |!that it would then be easy (ish) to lever out what is left. |!Especially if I cut at an angle to the surface. Do you think |!that would work?

Hire a Kango? Use and SDS drill the chisel blade?

[Lobster]

Why are you wanting to do this anyway? IMHO sounds a bad idea on all sorts of levels.

Are we talking an ordinary human-size door, or the one which a car drives through?

Presumably the old door frame goes right through the wall so it's visible on both sides? So if you were able to get it out, you'd end up with a large slab of wall within the old doorframe, unsupported on either side or the top (and is there a lintel above the old frame which will stop all the brickwork above dropping down 2" once the frame's removed?

Ideally you really ought to be removing brickwork either side of the frame, as well as the frame itself, so you can key the two sets of brickwork together, to stop the part within the doorframe falling over. At least there needs to be some sort of wall or frame tie in there - hopefully there already is currently, although if someone's bricked up a doorway without bothering to remove the frame, I wouldn't hold me breath...

David

[myheadisonbackwards]

I had not thought of this at all, and now you mention it, my plan conceals a potential disaster.

There is a lintel, and the frame does not go all the way through. But maybe it goes nearly all the way through, I just don't know.

Obviously I now need a serious re-think.

Thanks to everyone who responded, especially to David for this vital safety warning.

Regards, David P.

[The Natural Philosopher]

put hose above lintel,. two scaffold tubes through and then Acrow it, replace with concrete lintel mortared in.

[Weatherlawyer]

Unlikely. If the lintel was not spanning the door frame by at least half a brick each side, thee would have been trouble prior to the infill panel/brickwork or whatever.

Better still put a picture online and post a link.

It sounds like the frame had nails put into it to act as keys or wall ties for the infill. Just knock the brick and framework down and start again using nails drilled into the original wall or buy those specially made wall ties.

It might sound daunting but take your time and you could end up enjoying yourself.