5 simple decorating tricks to make a doorway appear larger

When working on the reconstruction of buildings and their redevelopment, it often becomes necessary to expand the doorway in a brick wall.
Today, many are moving away from standard apartment layouts, which were previously built as standard ones. If earlier we adjusted our furniture to the geometry of existing walls, then in modern conditions, on the contrary, many can afford to tie the layout to our desires and convenience of living.

Many people combine living rooms with kitchens, personal hygiene rooms with toilets, and install more functional doors in order to save useful space - sliding doors, accordion doors, which is associated with changing the size of the openings.

In addition, when replacing old doors with new ones, we often want the modern doors to look the same in design and be of a different width. I would also like to add here that existing openings often do not suit us with their location, so it makes sense to lay them and construct them in more convenient places.

Based on all this, let's consider the question of how to correctly widen a doorway in a brick wall, comply with all regulatory documents, and obtain permits to carry out this work.

Valid parameters

In a private house, solving the problem of rebuilding individual parts of the building is much easier. However, we must not forget about the established norms and restrictions. In an apartment, any such actions should be agreed upon in advance with the BTI. Violation of the standards when trying to expand the opening can lead to the wall not being able to withstand the load and the building becoming dangerous for people to stay in it.

To prevent this, it is important to know what restrictions exist for expanding the opening of an entrance or interior door. For most designs, the standard dimensions are 70-80 cm. Most often, a change in these values ​​is due to the purchase of a door block of the wrong size.

The maximum permissible openings are 200 cm wide and 210 cm high. It is advisable not to build them in load-bearing structures. An exception may be the entrance door opening, but in this case it should be further strengthened.

Scheme of strengthening an opening in a load-bearing wall with a lintel made of channels

In general, it is not recommended to widen the passage by more than 100 cm, otherwise it is necessary to install additional supports on the sides and, possibly, in the center of the opening.

Tools for work

To increase the doorway in modern construction, various tools and devices can be used. There are several ways to dismantle excess wall:

• Rough method. In this case, tools such as a sledgehammer, hammer drill, jackhammer and the like are used. In this case, it is necessary to first outline the contours and use tools to knock off the excess. Of course, the process is very labor-intensive, and there is another threat here - the formation of microcracks due to high impact loads. This may require additional finishing work and generally impairs the strength of the wall structure.
• Dry cutting . For this purpose, such a familiar tool as a grinder is used. With its help, you can easily cut out the desired shape of the contours. It also copes with reinforcement. The downside is that you have to cut on both sides, and it’s not always possible to match the cuts exactly. In addition, dry cutting leads to the formation of a large amount of dust and quickly wears out the diamond blade.
• Wet cutting. For this purpose, you can use a spray bottle and irrigate the work surface while working with an angle grinder, but a more rational method would be to use a special construction cutter. It is equipped with a large diamond blade and a water container. With its help, you can cut an opening of the required size in one step and at the same time with minimal contamination. True, the cost of such equipment is considerable.

Basic methods of dismantling part of a wall in an opening

When carrying out such work, be sure to use personal protective equipment: goggles and a respirator, they will protect you from dust and small fragments.

Expanding the doorway - general recommendations

By and large, all work is performed in the same way on walls made of a variety of materials. The procedure here is as follows:

• mark with a pencil using the level of the border of the new opening;
• Drill with a hammer drill along the contour of the hole;
• we strengthen the structure;
• we cut out or knock out an unnecessary fragment.

In the process you are allowed to use a variety of tools:

• perforator;
• sledgehammer with chisel;
• Bulgarian

The most accurate opening is obtained if you use the last device. If the work is being done on a wall made of foam concrete or gypsum blocks, then the most ordinary hacksaw for wood will suffice.

A special professional circular saw equipped with large-diameter diamond blades helps to cope with concrete structures. Its use allows:

• avoid excessive noise;
• reduce vibration that has a destructive effect on surrounding structures;
• perform cutting with millimeter precision.

Panel house

Most often there is a need to expand the doorway in a panel house. In high-rise buildings, this issue is quite problematic, since in addition to a large amount of construction waste, there is also a negative reaction from neighbors to such noisy repair work. That is why it is necessary to reduce the time of dismantling the structure as much as possible. The best option, affordable, is a grinder.

First you need to completely remove the old door frame from the opening. The supporting wooden beams are also dismantled. Next, you need to make the appropriate measurements and outline the contours of the desired passage dimensions.

If an opening is being expanded in a load-bearing wall, especially one adjacent to the front door, an important aspect is the temporary strengthening of the structure. It is best to initially cut out only the top part and move the jumper. Despite the increase in width, it should go deeper into the wall by at least 15-20 cm on each side.

When expanding an opening in a panel house, an important aspect is temporary strengthening of the structure

Cutting is carried out along the intended contour, first on one side of the room, and then on the other. The most problematic areas are the exit of the reinforcement. After the metal bars are cut, you can take a sledgehammer and remove excess concrete. If the opening area is large, you need to work in squares. To do this, the wall is divided into sections and additional lines are cut. Dismantling is done from top to bottom so that the upper tiers do not fall on you during the work process.

Arch calculation according to state standards

If you want to remove the arched vault when transitioning to an adjacent room, there is no way to avoid widening the transition. Before making an arched opening, you should calculate it. The opening can have any type of configuration. The shape of an arched vault can be any, while a curved bend can be attributed to a creative eye.

When constructing an opening in a load-bearing wall, it will be more difficult to make a classically shaped arch with the correct bend of 45 cm, so you need to stock up on certain equipment to carry out calculations on a scale of 1 to 50. Among the available tools and materials, you should highlight paper and a compass.

When calculating, you will need to use the Pythagorean theorem from the school curriculum: R² = L² + (R²-H²). The well-known Pythagorean formula made it possible to derive, and for masters of the construction field to use, a formula for calculating the radius of the circle of an arch in an opening. You will need to use a calculation based on the following formula: R = L² + H²/2H.

To determine the radius of the arch, you can use simpler, but not entirely accurate, calculations. To do this, a doorway of expanded dimensions is depicted on paper. Previously, a piece of wallpaper was used for this. After this, you should install a compass on the axis of symmetry and, changing the radius, draw several arcs. This way you can choose the best option; the remaining radii are then erased.

Brick house

The process of expanding an opening in a brick wall is carried out somewhat differently. It is important to be careful here, since excessive impact loads can lead to the destruction of the entire masonry. It is best to perform this operation in the following sequence:

1. Outline the contours of the future opening.
2. If necessary, move the jumper. You can use a metal channel as reinforcement.
3. You need to remove excess bricks one by one. To begin with, the mortar is cleaned from the seams as much as possible. Then use a hammer drill, chisel, or chisel to break the brick into small pieces.
4. If the work area is large, you can clean the outline of the opening and knock out the inside of the masonry with a sledgehammer.
5. The extreme contours are cut off with a grinder. For arched vaults, you initially need to clear the edges of the bricks around the perimeter.

When expanding an opening in a brick wall, a lintel must be used to strengthen it

If you need to make a wide entrance opening in a brick house, you will additionally need to cut off the reinforcement.

After rough work, check the integrity of the masonry and, if necessary, plaster cracks and cracked seams.

Works in a brick wall

Any wall consisting of masonry materials causes a lot of trouble:

• aerated concrete blocks;
• bricks, etc.

First of all you will need:

• grinder with diamond wheel;
• hammer;
• chisel.

If we are talking about a supporting structure, you should prepare a mortgage - a steel beam or two wide corners. In other cases, a wooden lintel - a block of hardwood - will suffice. These elements will protect the opening from collapse. Their dimensions must exceed the width of the door by at least 20 centimeters.

The work is done like this:

• a new outline is drawn;
• the plaster is completely knocked down to the brick;
• the old mortgage is cut out using a grinder or a circular saw;
• a new jumper is installed;
• is fixed as securely as possible;
• the remaining voids are filled with brick fragments mixed with concrete mortar.

The next stage is carried out no earlier than the cement hardens. When the mortgage is finally fixed, the unnecessary fragment is cut out. If the wall is too thick, then the pre-cut bricks are knocked out with a hammer and chisel. Then proceed to the next row.

When making an opening in brick or concrete, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment:

• respirator;
• gloves;
• “canned” glasses.

It is also recommended to periodically moisten the wall surface with water - you cannot do without dust completely, but its amount in the air will noticeably decrease. Keep in mind that the latter easily spreads throughout the house, so it is important to properly isolate the room in which the work is being carried out.

Height increase

In addition to expanding the doorway in the load-bearing wall, it may also be necessary to increase its height. In this case, you cannot do without moving the horizontal jumper. Without it, the entire load will fall on the fragile door structure, which can lead to the collapse of the wall.

How to safely increase the height of a doorway? To do this, you must first install supports in the passage. Then, using a grinder, vertical cuts are made to knock off the excess concrete. The old jumper is removed. Its edges can be left in the wall or replaced with a brick backing. The new crossbar is installed higher and covered with mortar. Further work can be done only after it has dried.

To safely increase the height of the opening, you need to install a jumper

It is not recommended to carry out such manipulations in a load-bearing wall. If such a need is unavoidable, follow the rules for performing dismantling work and in no case deviate from the established norms; violation of them is fraught with a fine and, in addition, is life-threatening.

Where to begin

Before constructing an opening in a load-bearing wall, the old door structure must be dismantled and the opening strengthened. If the work is carried out in an old panel house, then reinforcement can be done after the concrete cutting is completed. As for brick openings, they require special attention. When manipulating a brick wall, you should prepare certain tools and materials, such as:

• coupling bolts;
• tie channel;
• hairpins;
• metal corners;
• steel plates;
• cement mortar;
• petrol cutter;
• electric drill;
• Bulgarian

The coupling bolts must have a diameter of 20 mm. The diameter of the pins is 16 mm. Steel plates should be made from sheet steel. Instead of a grinder, you can use an electric cutter or a gas cutter. Diamond wheels should be prepared for the angle grinder. You can cut concrete using a variety of tools, but diamond cutting is the most suitable option.

You will need jacks or supports for the duration of the work. When you need to cut a brick wall, you should also prepare a hammer drill. The class of material used for reinforcement and the cross-section of the beam should be determined during preliminary load calculations.

The obtained figures should be included in the design documentation for the redevelopment of the premises. The steel channel profile should fit into the thickness of the brick wall by approximately 25 cm. Its length is selected taking this into account. To install the tightening bolts, holes are made in the channel; there must be at least 3 of them. This will be enough for an opening of medium length. The channel ties are located at a distance of 50 cm.