Brickwork window laying

08-07-2018

Useful

The design of window openings in buildings being erected is, as is known, an obligatory component of the construction work carried out in the process of the construction of residential buildings. When preparing the opening under the windows, it is assumed that the operational reliability of the entire structure under construction as a whole depends on the quality of its execution.

Particularly noteworthy are the cases when the laying of a window opening from a brick is carried out in the order of completion of the load-bearing walls, which can only be partially dismantled after a whole complex of preparatory measures.

Jumper design during construction

The basis for the formation of the aperture in a brick wall is a well-known structural element (the so-called girder), which, with its ends, rests on the bricks of the brick wall. For the manufacture of girders can be used such well-known building elements as:

industrial concrete lintels (it is allowed to manufacture them independently);
metal channel of one size or another;
standard metal corners.

The choice of material runs (jumpers) is made taking into account the expected loads on this part of the structure, as well as for reasons of convenience of working with them. When choosing their linear dimensions, one should proceed from the requirements of SNiP, which specify the amount of masonry overlap within 150? 200 mm on each side.

Consequently, with a window opening 1200 mm wide, you will need to prepare or buy a girder with a length of about 1500 × 1600 mm.

Runs from a channel (corner)

One of the most common types of lintels, through which window openings in brickwork are made, are metal channels (corners) of the appropriate size. When laying walls in a half-brick, the most convenient channel size is 120 (140) mm, and for full brick walls it is best for the size 240 (270) mm.

When used as a jumper metal corner can be faced with certain restrictions on its size associated with the load capacity of the structure. Even quite strong corners with frame sizes of 100? 100 mm (100? 75 mm) can be used only in cases where the laying above the window opening and the laying of the walls are reliably interconnected, and the length of the girder itself is small.

During installation, the corner must be positioned so that its two sides have contact with the material being laid on top of it. The length of the jumper from the corner can not be more than 1.5 meters, since the passage of a larger size can bend, and laying above it can sag.

Standard jumper

When you make a window opening with concrete jumpers, you will encounter two options:

use of finished industrial products;
manufacture of self-made jumpers, poured at the place of their installation.

In the case of using the finished product, simply close the opening in the wall with the help of it, and then continue laying the wall along its entire length.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase a ready-made concrete lintel of the required size, which most often happens with non-standard window dimensions.

On the other hand, the weight of the finished lintel often exceeds 100 kg; so without the involvement of special lifting equipment you are unlikely to be able to raise it to the desired height. Most performers who do not want to get involved in renting lifting equipment prefer jumpers made in-house by the finished product.

Homemade run

When making window openings of non-standard sizes, the manufacturing of the lintel (its filling) should be made at the location. For this you will need to do the following typical operations:

first of all, the surfaces of the masonry on the sides of the window opening are cleaned from the remnants of the solution;
after that they are thoroughly primed;
at the final stage of work at the location of the lintel, formwork is mounted.

Taking into account the significant weight of the cast billet, sufficiently durable boards with a minimum thickness of 20 mm are usually used as the “bottom” of the formwork. For their reliable fixation in the aperture, it is recommended to use special props with support on the lower cut of the window aperture.

Upon completion of these procedures, a thin layer of pre-prepared concrete mix is poured into the formwork, after which the reinforcing mesh is immediately placed there. After that, you can continue to fill the lintel followed by placing another reinforcing tab in the thickness of the concrete. When dismantling the formwork, it should be borne in mind that it is not always possible to dismantle its lower part.

In the process of self-casting lintels, it is necessary to carefully ensure that the concrete solution does not leak through the formwork boards and that the structure supports do not bend. At the slightest deformation of its lower part, it is necessary to stop pouring and to start it again only after “setting” the already filled layer.

When making window openings lined with facing bricks (the so-called facing masonry), in order to preserve its decorative advantages, the use of channels (wide metal corners) is allowed. In this case, the visible part of the girder will be located only on the inside of the bearing wall.

At the same time on its front surface should not remain even any noticeable traces of the presence of the jumper.

The procedure for making jumpers in the finished walls

Before the opening of the opening in the bearing brick wall will need to make a number of preparatory operations:

First of all, the run itself will be required, prepared by one of the above methods (excluding the option of self-pouring a concrete lintel).
Further, it is necessary to punch a hole in the brick wall, having installed metal support columns under the ceiling. Columns should be driven into the ceiling with a noticeable pressure created by pre-prepared wooden struts.
After taking all the necessary precautionary measures, you can proceed to the formation of the contours of the future window opening, starting with punching the area under the jumper. This operation should be carried out with great care, carefully monitoring the condition of the surrounding sections of the wall.

After a cavity of the required size has been formed, a jumper of the type of your choice is put into it, which is then fixed in the opening with the help of a concrete solution. Immediately after the mortar has dried, the plaster (finishing coating) is removed from the area under the overlap, and then the masonry is disassembled to form a hole for the future window. Disassembly should be from top to bottom; at the same time, its lower boundary should be located 10–15 cm below the level required by the window size.

At the final stage of work, the window is simply inserted into the opening.

Video

See how the facing of the window opening is made: