How to block up an internal doorway
Renovations offer many opportunities to rearrange existing spaces — and this often goes hand-in-hand with changing the position of doorways and windows
The layout of older properties, particularly those in need of renovation, rarely fits in with today’s expectations. These days we want openplan spaces that flow seamlessly into one another and we will do anything to maximise light and a sense of connection to the outdoors. While these new layout requirements often throw up the need for a wall or two to be removed, it can also mean existing openings need to be blocked up.
Often, moving a doorway from the centre of the wall to one end of it can really increase the sense of space. What’s
Planning your project
Before you start mixing mortar, it is important to spend some time considering how your new layout will work. Depending on the scale of your project you might already have an architect or designer on board, in which case you can discuss your layout options with them.
If, on the other hand, you are devising your own remodelling plans, do consider all the options thoroughly and think through how the elimination or relocation of a doorway will affect the layout.
You should also consider:
● Electrical sockets and switches and their placement
● Whether blocking up the doorway will affect natural light levels in the space
● Radiator placement.
Preparing the opening
Getting the opening ready to be blocked up is usually something that is quite achievable on a DIY basis. Even if you plan on getting a professional in to block the opening up, you can save on labour costs by carrying out the preparation work yourself.
You will first need to remove the door itself from the opening, before the frame can be taken out. All this usually requires is for the hinges to be unscrewed from the frame. Sometimes, the door can be lifted off the hinges before they are unscrewed.
Next, remove the architrave from around the opening. Run a sharp putty knife or similar around the edges of the architrave on both sides in order to break away any paint, paper, caulk or sealants that will probably have been applied and built up over the years. This lessens the likelihood of damaging the surrounding walls.
Create a small gap between the wall and the architrave using a hammer and chisel. Once you have a gap, you can get a pry bar in to gently pull the architrave away,
loosening it carefully, bit by bit to minimise damage — placing thick card behind the bar is a good way to protect the wall too.
Scrape off any remaining caulk or sealant and remove any nails or screws in order to give a smooth surface.
You can now remove the door frame from the opening, using a similar technique. It is best to remove the frame in sections, carefully sawing through the head and jambs at an angle of approximately 45°, to make levering them out with a pry bar easier. Finally, clean up the opening, pulling out or sawing off remaining screws or nails and sanding the surface smooth.
Preparing the floor
The new wall needs to be built off a base. In old houses, it is not unusual to find a row of bricks extending beneath floor level, supporting the wall above. In this case, the new wall can be built off these. Alternatively, the floor may be solid concrete, which again can be built off.
In the case of suspended timber floors, the new wall can be built off walls supporting the joists, although there is no guarantee these will be present or in the spot that you need them to be.where there is a void beneath the ground floor, build a block wall up directly from the subfloor and start blocking up from here.
Whatever flooring type you are building off you must use damp proof coursing beneath the new blockwork.
Using blockwork
Often, the easiest way to fill an internal opening is to use lightweight blocks — using blocks is a cheap and quick way to fill the gap and the likelihood is that the new wall will be plastered and finished to match the surrounding walls anyway. Although measurements are often far from standard in older properties, most modern internal brick or blockwork walls are 100mm thick, with 12mm of plaster finish — laying your blocks to match the existing thickness of the existing wall will ensure a seamless finish.
You will need to use frame ties to link the old and new sections of the wall together. Frame ties are made from galvanized metal formed into a strip that is bent at a right angle to form an ‘L’ shape.
The short edge of the tie should be fixed to the edge of the opening using plugs and screws, having drilled into the masonry down either side. The ties should be fixed to the walls so that they extend into the joins of every other course of blocks.
Using studwalling
While the most common way to block up an internal opening is to use blockwork, it is also possible to build a studwall to fill an old doorway. In this case, the opening should be cleared using the method described above. The studwall can be built directly off the floor (in fact this is a good method for building off a suspended timber floor and for blocking up doorways with timber floors at first or second levels). Wall ties should be used — simply screw through the studwall frame and into the surrounding wall to secure them. Insulation can be fitted into the studwall before the entire area is plasterboarded and skimmed.
Some people shy away from using a studwall in this way through fear of cracks appearing in the plaster where the two different wall types meet. In order to lessen the likelihood of this happening, cut the plaster back a little around the edges of the opening and fit sheets of plasterboard that are wider than the opening so that they span both the brickwork and the studwalling.
Finishing off
For the old doorway to become a flawless part of the existing wall, a base or ‘scratch’ coat should be applied to the blocks, before a plaster skim coat to finish the wall off.
The wall can then be painted and skirting fixed. If skirting is being painted you might be able to fit in a piece to match in with the existing. Usually though, all the skirting will need replacing.
NEXT MONTH: Levelling old floors