How to make a doorway in a brick wall - a few simple ways
Quite rarely there is a need to perform an opening in the wall. This usually happens when an apartment or house is being redeveloped. In this case, the question arises, how to make a doorway in a brick wall? If the hole is executed incorrectly, the deformation of the walls can occur, rarely the entire structure is damaged. The steps for making the opening are suggested by the article.
Ways of laying brick walls
The device of the doorway in the brick wall should begin with determining the type of brickwork, which is:
- Lozhkovoy. The brick is laid with a spoon outside.

- Chain.

- Cross. In chain and cross cases, variable laying is used: one row is laid out with a spoon to the outside, the other is stabbed.

- Well.

In this case, the wall is laid in two rows, forming a well-type construction. Its space is filled with gravel, slag or debris.
Types of walls
There are two main types of walls, the features of which are presented in the table:
Wall view | Special features |
Bearing - loaded from above. | Usually these are exterior walls. They can be shared with neighboring apartments. The walls overlook the landing. On them, floor slabs are supported by a smaller end. The thickness of such a wall is more than 380 millimeters. |
Not bearing - does not bear on itself special loads. | Usually these are partitions that are loaded only with their own weight. |
Wall features
Before you make a doorway in the wall, you need to know more about it.
Define:
- Is there concealed wiring inside the structure?

- The presence of pipes in the wall and fittings.

- Is there a chimney, and in what specific place is located.

Normal inspection such information can not be obtained, you must use a metal detector.
Tip: Detecting any obstacles does not mean that you cannot make a doorway in the wall. In this case, it is necessary to properly prepare for the work.
To eliminate problems when doing an opening in the wall with your own hands, you need:
- Move wiring to another location.
- Retreat from the chimney at least three meters.
- To transfer the pipe you need to invite a specialist.
Preparation for work

First of all, it is necessary to perform the calculation of the doorway in the supporting wall, taking into account the following points:
- Its dimensions are selected in accordance with SNIP or building codes.
At the same time in the bearing wall:
- the height of the opening should be no more than 2.1 meters;
- width within 0.7 - 2 meters. For an apartment located on the ground floor, the width of the opening may not exceed 0.9 meters.
- The optimal placement of the opening is the center of the wall.
- The top of the hole in the brick wall should coincide with the cement seam of the masonry.
- The doorway in the wall must be arranged so that there is a gap of 25 millimeters between the wall and the door frame, and 6 millimeters above.
Tip: The opening, whose width is not more than 90 centimeters, is not required to be further strengthened. With a greater width, the wall must be strengthened.
Tools and materials for work
Before you move the doorway in a brick wall, regardless of its purpose, you need to purchase the tools shown in the photo:

To work you need tools:
- Bulgarian or puncher.
- Locksmith chisel and hammer.
- Triangle.
- Building level.
- High-quality roulette.
Required materials:
- Bars of wood.
- Reinforced concrete beams.
- Steel corners or channel.
- Cement mortar.
Punching the opening in the partition

Before you make a doorway in a concrete wall or from brickwork, you must carefully consider the available documentation on the house. It usually lists all communications, laying the power supply system. In the planning of the opening, holes are drilled.

Punching openings in concrete and brick walls is accompanied by a large amount of dust.
This requires special protective clothing:
- Respirators.
- Safety glasses.
- Gloves.
Tip: In order to settle the formed dust when punching the opening, the wall should be sprayed with water from the sprayer.
Any opening is in the shape of the letter "T". In the upper part is mounted crossbar, which will hold the brickwork. At production of an aperture in a partition, the crossbeam can be applied from a usual wooden board. For the bearing wall requires installation of reinforced concrete beams.

The partition is usually made of small thickness, which facilitates punching holes in it.
Instruction manual offers:
- Make appropriate marking with the help of a square and a ruler, taking into account that the opening must have a greater width than the door being installed
- The wall section is exempt from all types of finishing materials to the brickwork.

- On the lines applied during marking, cuts are made by a grinder with a disc with a diameter of more than 200 millimeters, on which there is a diamond coating. Such cuts will be edging for the future opening.
- At the seams for laying bricks are drilled holes.
- With the help of a chisel and a hammer, several bricks are knocked out.
Tip: The first brick should be knocked out with a crown cutter. It can be replaced with a large diameter drill.
- Punched a hole for the installation of the crossbar.
- A wooden board is inserted.

- Poured cement mortar. It is impossible to ignore this stage of manufacturing the opening, otherwise cracks may appear in the wall.
Opening in the bearing wall
The price of works for the bearing wall will be higher.
In this case, the penetration of the opening is performed with minor differences and includes the following steps:
- Removed to the brickwork coating.
- The marking is applied from the outside of the wall.

- Openings are made for rectangular supports. Better to do it with a hammer and a chisel. The contour of the future opening is obtained.

- Supports are installed. This is usually reinforced concrete beams, which are inserted into the prepared holes and filled with concrete solution.

- The design is left until the concrete completely sets.
- Understands the wall with a hammer and perforator. In this case, holes are drilled in several places in the wall, weakening the brickwork.
- The bricks protruding in the opening are carefully sawn off or beaten off.
- Removed construction debris and remnants of plaster.
- The hole is strengthened. A channel bar is used for this, but bevels and rounded edges of the profile do not allow him to fit snugly to the wall. Therefore, it will be necessary to bring the edges of the channels to perfect shape - grind them or pour the cavities formed with concrete. An excellent alternative to the channel - metal corners, which have good technical characteristics and even angles. To strengthen the opening, two identical elements are used. They are drilled in advance horizontal holes. The protruding parts of the corner or channel should be directed toward the wall located above the opening. Then these elements are bolted together.

Tip: When making a hole in the supporting wall, you should not save materials to reinforce it in order to prevent subsidence of the ceiling, which will be dangerous to people's health and even life.
To imagine how to make a doorway in the wooden walls, you should carefully watch the video in this article.
The implementation of any changes associated with the redevelopment of the apartment should begin with a thorough study of its routing. The structure of the load-bearing walls is described in detail in a document approved by state authorities.
A consultation, as in the supporting wall to make a doorway, can be obtained from experts. Unauthorized change in the layout of the house can cause irreversible consequences, doing all the work correctly is a pledge of a strong and beautiful door opening.