creating a basement window opening in a brick wall

amakarevic

this should be easy for you old salts.

i am seeking advice on how to prevent the whole house from crumbling on me if i drill a small window opening in the basement. the house is 100% solid brick, 100 yrs old but the brick is solid as ever. two layers of brick wall. love brick houses - everything else (except log and poured concrete is so busch league).

the idea that i had in mind was to drill a horizontal line in mortar between two adjacent levels of bricks that goes about a foot extra on each side of the orifice. then was thinking to get some super-strong but thin enough steel plate to deposit inside to hold the weight of the two floors worth of a wall above (plus the roof). then i cut the opening with a diamond blade.

any ideas of where to get/order a steel plate like that (guess it is too specialty of a product to find it in a big box store). any www links would be appreciated. just don't know what to google for (proper terminology).

any thoughts - thanks !

- a -

AtlanticWBConst.

Find a local steel fabricator/supplier...or order it from a lumber yard.
Do not use a "steel plate".
What you want to install, is called a steel "Lintel": http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(xg...?SKU=998023275

Obviously, in your situation, you want "treated metal" since it will be exposed to the elements.
http://www.southatlanticllc.com/lintels/

When installing, you want to temporarily support the floor joists that sit over the location, until the new lintel is fully installed and secured.

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amakarevic

thanks. does the plate stay in place even after the window installation or should it be removed ?

also, are you saying that there should be posts prompting the plate against the floor/ground ?

thanks,

- a -

amakarevic

ahh - now i get what you are saying about the beams that sit over the location.

another question is: why is the product you posted links for angled ? shouldn't it be simply flat ? i am sure there is a reason but can you give your US$0.02 ?

thx,

- a -

AtlanticWBConst.

If it was flat, it would be more likely to bend with added weight. Because it is shaped as an angle iron, it gives the steel member added strength.

Trust me, we've installed them in basements ourselves, when cutting concrete to install doors and windows.

Generally, you will need 2 of them. One for the outside wall surface, and one for the inside wall surface.

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amakarevic

you are so incredibly resourceful. one day, i will apply for a job with Atlantic.