Lintel Options
Preston
block cavity wall - at least it's external on the top floor, there's a
single storey block corridor with pitched tile roof on the ground
floor. There are three doorways next to each other in the wall with
block columns between them. It looks like a single concrete lintel has
been formed in place across all three openings. The lintel's 260mm wide
x 180mm high.
I want to widen one of the end openings by around 1200mm, effectively
knocking through so the room inside the cavity wall & corridor outside
it become one. This means removing the wall that's currently supporting
that end of the lintel.
There's not enough space above the lintel to put a new one on top of it
(the upstairs floor joists are only about 70mm above it), so the only
option I can think of is to cut the lintel at the edge of the last
pillar, make that pillar at least 150mm wider with blocks, then fit a
new lintel from those blocks across to where the new opening will end.
Are there any other options, & if not, what's the best (cheap) way of
cutting through a 260mm x 180mm concrete lintel? I know a hydraulic
masonry chainsaw's probably the easiest way, but suspect they're
hideously expensive to hire (especially as the few hire sites I've
looked at say 'POA' for the price). I have got a 9" angle grinder &
diamond disc, but that only cuts to 70mm depth. Start with that then
bash away with a cold chisel?
--
Preston.
meow...@care2.com
Maybe I'm missing something, but isnt the logical thing to cut the
existing lintel halfway across the pillar, so the new one also sits on
half the pillar width?
Re cutting masonry, when grinders and holesaws fail, the usual answer
is to drill a row of holes then break through with a chisel.
NT
Martin Bonner
> what's the best (cheap) way of
> cutting through a 260mm x 180mm concrete lintel? I know a hydraulic
> masonry chainsaw's probably the easiest way, but suspect they're
> hideously expensive to hire (especially as the few hire sites I've
> looked at say 'POA' for the price). I have got a 9" angle grinder &
> diamond disc, but that only cuts to 70mm depth. Start with that then
> bash away with a cold chisel?
A) SDS drill?
B) Cut two 70mm slots about 15mm apart.
Knock out the 15mm strip between the slots.
Repeat on the other side.
Drill a few holes through the remain ~50mm piece of lintel.
Hit it with a sledge hammer to snap it off.
Preston
> Preston wrote:
>
> > Not quite sure of the best way to tackle this. I've got an external
> > block cavity wall - at least it's external on the top floor,
> > there's a single storey block corridor with pitched tile roof on
> > the ground floor. There are three doorways next to each other in
> > the wall with block columns between them. It looks like a single
> > concrete lintel has been formed in place across all three openings.
> > The lintel's 260mm wide x 180mm high.
>
> Maybe I'm missing something, but isnt the logical thing to cut the
> existing lintel halfway across the pillar, so the new one also sits on
> half the pillar width?
That was my first thought, but the pillar's only 200mm wide, & has
another block wall going off at 90 degrees which I'd need to partially,
errm, 'modify' for access.
> Re cutting masonry, when grinders and holesaws fail, the usual answer
> is to drill a row of holes then break through with a chisel.
OK thanks.
--
Preston.
Preston
> On Jan 20, 9:54 am, "Preston" <dontwant...@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> > what's the best (cheap) way of
> > cutting through a 260mm x 180mm concrete lintel? I know a hydraulic
> > masonry chainsaw's probably the easiest way, but suspect they're
> > hideously expensive to hire (especially as the few hire sites I've
> > looked at say 'POA' for the price). I have got a 9" angle grinder &
> > diamond disc, but that only cuts to 70mm depth. Start with that then
> > bash away with a cold chisel?
>
> A) SDS drill?
Haven't got one of them, but I have got a compressor & a couple of air
chisels. Unfortunately neither of them want to work after a few months
in a damp shed :-/
> B) Cut two 70mm slots about 15mm apart.
> Knock out the 15mm strip between the slots.
> Repeat on the other side.
> Drill a few holes through the remain ~50mm piece of lintel.
> Hit it with a sledge hammer to snap it off.
Ah now that sounds like a good plan - cheers. Actually given how
quickly a diamond disc chomps through it, I might just cut enough slots
until I've got a trench wide enough for the grinder to fit in - then do
the next 70mm slice.
--
Preston.
The Medway Handyman
>>
>> A) SDS drill?
>
> Haven't got one of them, but I have got a compressor & a couple of air
> chisels. Unfortunately neither of them want to work after a few months
> in a damp shed :-/
Shock horor! You don't have an SDS? Go & buy one immediately!
--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
Mark Dumbrill
"Preston" <dontw...@nowhere.invalid> wrote in message
news:6tm394F...@mid.individual.net...
> Martin Bonner wrote:
>
>> On Jan 20, 9:54 am, "Preston" <dontwant...@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
>> > what's the best (cheap) way of
>> > cutting through a 260mm x 180mm concrete lintel? I know a hydraulic
>> > masonry chainsaw's probably the easiest way, but suspect they're
>> > hideously expensive to hire (especially as the few hire sites I've
>> > looked at say 'POA' for the price). I have got a 9" angle grinder &
>> > diamond disc, but that only cuts to 70mm depth. Start with that then
>> > bash away with a cold chisel?
>>
>> A) SDS drill?
>
> Haven't got one of them,
Get one of these:
They're fantastic for the price and they make taking masonary apart a
doddle. Having installed a lintel myself last weekend I don't know where I'd
have been without it.
Preston
I was looking at those earlier, as it happens. Have they got a rotary
stop? A new air chisel would be a lot cheaper, but one can never have
too many toys ;-)
--
Preston.
Dave Plowman (News)
> They're fantastic for the price and they make taking masonary apart a
> doddle. Having installed a lintel myself last weekend I don't know where
> I'd have been without it.
I'll bet your arms were aching afterwards. There's no need for something
that heavy/powerful for masonry work - ok for breaking up concrete,
though, I suppose.
--
*'Progress' and 'Change' are not synonyms.
Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Mark Dumbrill
Yes it does have a rotary stop. Altogether it's a very good machine. The
only bad point is that the knob on top that turns the rotary action on and
off is a bit weedy. It could be a bit more robust, but it wouldn't stop me
buying one.
It's a pleasure to use, in fact so good that I need some more things to
demolish!
Preston
> "Preston" <dontw...@nowhere.invalid> wrote in message
> news:6tpn7oF...@mid.individual.net...
> > Mark Dumbrill wrote:
> > >
> > > Get one of these:
> > >
> > > http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsessionid=3TOTF33HIRVDMCSTHZOSF
> > > FY?_ dyncharset=UTF-8&fh_search=36136
> > >
> > > They're fantastic for the price and they make taking masonary
> > > apart a doddle. Having installed a lintel myself last weekend I
> > > don't know where I'd have been without it.
> >
> > I was looking at those earlier, as it happens. Have they got a
> > rotary stop? A new air chisel would be a lot cheaper, but one can
> > never have too many toys ;-)
>
> Yes it does have a rotary stop. Altogether it's a very good machine.
> The only bad point is that the knob on top that turns the rotary
> action on and off is a bit weedy. It could be a bit more robust, but
> it wouldn't stop me buying one.
>
> It's a pleasure to use, in fact so good that I need some more things
> to demolish!
I treated myself to one today, & it chomped through the lintel & wall
rather well. It's certainly robust, but by christ do you feel the
weight after holding it above your head for a couple of hours!
--
Preston.
Dave Plowman (News)
Preston <dontw...@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> I treated myself to one today, & it chomped through the lintel & wall
> rather well. It's certainly robust, but by christ do you feel the
> weight after holding it above your head for a couple of hours!
Yup. That's the problem with most of these cheapies.
--
*Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
Mark Dumbrill
news:5021dbe...@davenoise.co.uk...
Erbauer cheapy - 5.8kg, 1300W
Bosch @ £389.99 - 5.8kg, 1050W
Makita @ 429.99 - 5.9kg, 1100W
Dave Plowman (News)
Mark Dumbrill <ma...@dumbrill.com> wrote:
> "Dave Plowman (News)" <da...@davenoise.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:5021dbe...@davenoise.co.uk...
> > In article <6tsaiqF...@mid.individual.net>,
> > Preston <dontw...@nowhere.invalid> wrote:
> >> I treated myself to one today, & it chomped through the lintel & wall
> >> rather well. It's certainly robust, but by christ do you feel the
> >> weight after holding it above your head for a couple of hours!
> >
> > Yup. That's the problem with most of these cheapies.
> Erbauer cheapy - 5.8kg, 1300W
> Bosch @ £389.99 - 5.8kg, 1050W
> Makita @ 429.99 - 5.9kg, 1100W
Now try finding a cheap and decent 2Kg type. That's all that's needed for
most use - unless you're breaking up a lot of concrete.
--
*Born free - taxed to death *