"pass-through" from kitchen to dining room?

[scoobz]

I'm new to the DIY game, but I'm hoping to a buy a house shortly, an

somone has knocked a small window-sized hole (around 2'x3') through brick wall between the kitchen and dining room, as kind of pass-through.

However, all that is there at the moment is a rough hole. I will nee to apply some cement to finish and sqare off the hole.

What would be the best way to do this? I would like to use cement an someone suggested using a timber frame which I can then fill wit cement.

I have attached a quick picture of how it looks now, and how I woul like it to look, but I'm not sure how I would apply a frame that I ca fill with cement - especially the top part. Would the cement be fir enough to hold it's place in a verticle space if I just put in a sqaur frame and try to fill around it?

Can anyone give me some help or point me to some "how-to" sites fo this kind of thing

+------------------------------------------------------------------- |Filename: example.JPG |Download: +-------------------------------------------------------------------

[scoobz]

please delete (dupe

-- scoobz

[Dave Jones]

Fit architrave to both sides of the wall, making sure both sides are in line, keep the void not bigger than 12mm deep, apply a coat of water/pva mix

3/1 to 2 of the sides (opposites), leave until becomes tacky, then apply a one coat plaster (looking for a moist but stiff mix), get as smooth as poss, if to wet leave for 20 min and resmooth if to dry sprinkle water on the top with a brush. Let it set, then repeat on other two sides.

On the top (and sides) just make sure the mix is not to wet, otherwise it might slump!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Usually called a serving hatch.

Normal way would be to face the opening with wood - about 1" thick - to the exact thickness of the walls. The bottom piece might well be larger to act as a sort of shelf large enough to take plates safely. Make good with one coat plaster up to the wood, then fit architraving of your choice to form a frame. Some would also fit doors to close it off from the kitchen when not needed.

[John Rumm]

I think I would be more interested initially in whether it was a load bearing wall, and if they had put a lintle in over the hole to stop the wall collapsing!

How thick is the wall? single course of bricks?

I would have thought if you tidy up the edge of the brickwork so that it is reasonably square, then stick in a frame made from rough 4x2" timber, followed by a wider planed timer lining that is as wide as the wall is thick. Then render/plaster the gaps between the outside edge of the lining and the existing wall to get it all flat. The finally fit architrave round the edge which will tidy up any remaining messy bits.

Well this newsgroup is a good place to start, although you have found it via a less conventional route it would seem (the DIYbanta site is just a web based "wrapper" round a number of ordinary usenet groups).

[Andy Burns]

Quite!

Then wait a few years and brick it back up again ...

[Ian Stirling]

You are looking for the button/menu/... saying "cancel message" on your news client. This is not the way to do it.

>

[fred]

In article , Ian Stirling writes

Have a look, it's another one of those poxy pseudo forums.

For the OP, diybanter, is a rip off copy of usenet posts made to the newsgroup uk.d-i-y and boldly makes a real screw up of threads to which it tries to add replies. Easiest and best way to contribute to these groups is to get yourself a newsreader (google for good examples) and you are away.

Google groups is a good way to access old articles, but _not_ a good way to post; it is broken in that respect too:

:-)

[John Armstrong]

Looks we have another web interface:

At least this one makes it fairly clear that it isn't its own web forum, and even mentions access via newsreaders. Slow to update though, latest post showing is scoobz' second please delete post. Very slow to use too.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. Any open link to a kitchen from a sitting area is likely to be more of a pain than a boon.

[Paul Barker]

First put a lintel in, then buy a bag of bonding plaster and some ski beads tell them you want it for internal plastering. Stick the beads t the edges with a little bonding, and when it's stuck render all edge just short of the beads with bonding. Finally use a small amount o multifinish plaster to make up the last few mil. get it as flat a possible but go back when it's nearly dry with a wet clean smooth floa and press out the track marks (known as polishing).

Don't forget the lintel or you'll end up with a ton of bricks on you head one of these days

-- Paul Barker

[scoobz]

Cheers for the info!

Although will the plaster be strong enough to support an shelf/door/shutter etc, that I might want to screw on/around the hole (That was why I thought cement might be better?

-- scoobz

[John Rumm]

That is what the wood lining is for...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Think only one person recommended this - and he's wrong. ;-)

Apart from anything else, you'll need far more skill make a decent job using plaster than wood - and it won't be as durable.

The wood frame can be assembled outside the opening and checked carefully for square, etc before being installed and made good up to. The chances of you having the skill to do this with plaster are remote - and it would look terrible if not square and you fitted doors.