Thans Rob! I was going to help my son cut a hole in a cinder bloc wall for window and door. I wanted to see how real contractors did this, and as soon as I saw a video with how YOU did this, i knew i'd get the real info on how to do it correctly-- Thankyou!
As a firefighter for many years, with technical rescue training, we were always taught, when breaching a block wall, to start breaking out the blocks from the bottom and work up. If you start at the top, all the debris falls into the voids of the lower block, and by the time you get to the bottom, you're trying to break out what is almost solid concrete. It wouldn't have made a big difference in this particular situation because of the small amount of actual block removed, but someone cutting an opening for an egress window or door in a wall with no previous openings, starting at the bottom would make the job easier. Plus, I've seen instances where starting at the bottom, gravity becomes your friend, mortar joints will crack from the vibrations, and some blocks will fall out without being touched.
I plan to replace my standard door in my basement to a siding glass door or two French doors, and potentially adding a larger window as well. Should the main support where the door is currently be strong enough to put in a door frame double the width minus the blocks I’ll be removing?
Great video for those (even pros) who are wary about cutting block or rock. I know I was intimitated the first time I did it and a video like this then woulda been awesome!
Thanks, Rob. Very useful. I tore down a brick-fireplace wall, which exposed the rough, oversized, concrete opening of the basement window. The blocks were all 'rough-smashed' and very uneven. I chipped the mortar away to a semblance of 'more-level', but am reluctant to start chipping away at the blocks. Your video gave me the idea to lash a piece of 2x lumber to the wall to build a 'mortar-bed', on which to set the rough-sill, and go from there with the framing.
So different to how we do it in the Uk. We use either a concrete lintel, catnip or rsj, the cill might have a brick course with plastic cavity closers up the sides then window fixed directly to the block work but not spanning the cavity. Great vid as always happy Xmas
Do you have many block and brick houses where you are? If I was gonna build a house for myself I’d make it timber framed, it just seems like a good balance between longevity and affordability
Good work. I'm surprised you didn't have king studs at the outside to stabilize the header and tie everything together. I've never seen jack studs used without kings before. Thanks for the video.
For marking longer saw cut lines in concrete use red chalk then spray clear paint over top. You can squeegee the slurry away from on top of the line and it won’t wash the line away.
Do you require a jack post on each side with a temporary support beam until the header is installed ? What’s the maximum width you recommend for a basement window for egress and natural light
@@ConcordCarpenter I knew you knew that was the extension jamb. I thought you would get a good laugh out of me correcting you. Hey you and your family have a great Christmas and thank you for a great year of videos. Peace brother
Thanks for the video. I have a question: when cutting with a circular saw, there will be overcuts on four corners. How do you go about filling the overcuts? thanks
rbondy008 it’s slow cutting but we knew that going into it, and saves $$$ from sub contracting it out or renting a faster, larger too. It took 2 batteries to cut both sides
Great video. Very helpful. Now can you use that same concept to add a whole door to a basement nd turn it into a walk out basement? Of course the outside would have to be excavated nd concrete stairs be added...is that something that is possible?
I have a cement walkway around my entire house. How can I install a egress window? Do I need to cut not just threw the brick foundation but also the walkway?
In the video, How did you support the buck board into the supporting brick foundation. Any Suggestions to have it fastened securely. Sorry if this question has been asked/answered. Be safe.
dave daved if you look at what was there prior 0:34 you’ll see the old window was up tight to the 6x8 sill, directly above that is a triple wide window with a modern LVL header spanning past this window left and right.
Funny you didn't fill the cider block with concrete and wire mesh like you talked about, What a joke when people talk about how to do something but video themselves not even doing it!!! Can you answer as to why this was not done?>
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Thans Rob! I was going to help my son cut a hole in a cinder bloc wall for window and door. I wanted to see how real contractors did this, and as soon as I saw a video with how YOU did this, i knew i'd get the real info on how to do it correctly-- Thankyou!
I'll need to watch a few times to build confidence, but I appreciate this video
As a firefighter for many years, with technical rescue training, we were always taught, when breaching a block wall, to start breaking out the blocks from the bottom and work up. If you start at the top, all the debris falls into the voids of the lower block, and by the time you get to the bottom, you're trying to break out what is almost solid concrete. It wouldn't have made a big difference in this particular situation because of the small amount of actual block removed, but someone cutting an opening for an egress window or door in a wall with no previous openings, starting at the bottom would make the job easier. Plus, I've seen instances where starting at the bottom, gravity becomes your friend, mortar joints will crack from the vibrations, and some blocks will fall out without being touched.
Larry Sherman great tip sir thx for your service
Ií😮😮😮😮66h7c44e4,
Great comment, thank you! 💙
The wife wants me to do this to our house. looks like I'm gonna need some more tools! Good work guys!
Only reason we can buy tools !!
I plan to replace my standard door in my basement to a siding glass door or two French doors, and potentially adding a larger window as well. Should the main support where the door is currently be strong enough to put in a door frame double the width minus the blocks I’ll be removing?
@Finish Carpentry, I love your channel! I’ve learned so much from both this and your amazing content!
Great video for those (even pros) who are wary about cutting block or rock. I know I was intimitated the first time I did it and a video like this then woulda been awesome!
Joey DaFish thx
Wow, you guys nailed it. Good job.
Thanks Rob, you are so detailed in your description of your work I feel like I can do that job by myself.
Thanks. Inspired and informed me so I can diy the cutting! Thanks!
Hi, your video help a lot, thank you.
This video is perfect for my project. Thank you! You gave great info and I am able to envision my own project more clearly now.
@@michaelkubert8522 did you do a project?
Thanks, Rob. Very useful. I tore down a brick-fireplace wall, which exposed the rough, oversized, concrete opening of the basement window. The blocks were all 'rough-smashed' and very uneven. I chipped the mortar away to a semblance of 'more-level', but am reluctant to start chipping away at the blocks. Your video gave me the idea to lash a piece of 2x lumber to the wall to build a 'mortar-bed', on which to set the rough-sill, and go from there with the framing.
Bro you always have the best videos. Super enthusiastic!
I would love to see the final installation.
Would of been nice to see an actual video of cutting and the installation
So different to how we do it in the Uk. We use either a concrete lintel, catnip or rsj, the cill might have a brick course with plastic cavity closers up the sides then window fixed directly to the block work but not spanning the cavity. Great vid as always happy Xmas
Ben Chippy we do that too but not in this situation
Do you have many block and brick houses where you are? If I was gonna build a house for myself I’d make it timber framed, it just seems like a good balance between longevity and affordability
Good work. I'm surprised you didn't have king studs at the outside to stabilize the header and tie everything together. I've never seen jack studs used without kings before. Thanks for the video.
Great point - probably should have
What about affecting the structural foundation of the house? How do you know if you cut a hole too big the house could collapse?
For marking longer saw cut lines in concrete use red chalk then spray clear paint over top. You can squeegee the slurry away from on top of the line and it won’t wash the line away.
brody moore great tip!!!
Do you require a jack post on each side with a temporary support beam until the header is installed ? What’s the maximum width you recommend for a basement window for egress and natural light
Very interesting an thanks for the knowledge !!!!!!!! Also have a Happy Merry Christmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic, great information. Thank you.
Thank you, very informative
It's called an extension jamb. That's my tech tip for the day. Peace brother
Lol proper nomenclature got it.... - I got tongue tied
@@ConcordCarpenter I knew you knew that was the extension jamb. I thought you would get a good laugh out of me correcting you. Hey you and your family have a great Christmas and thank you for a great year of videos. Peace brother
Makita man merry Christmas brother
You could also use a 14in electric demo saw
Lenny Santucci didn’t want to rent it
Thanks for the video. I have a question: when cutting with a circular saw, there will be overcuts on four corners. How do you go about filling the overcuts? thanks
Awesome...thank you!
Solid work!
Another great video. How did the cutter hold up in the "real world"?
rbondy008 it’s slow cutting but we knew that going into it, and saves $$$ from sub contracting it out or renting a faster, larger too. It took 2 batteries to cut both sides
Great video. Very helpful. Now can you use that same concept to add a whole door to a basement nd turn it into a walk out basement? Of course the outside would have to be excavated nd concrete stairs be added...is that something that is possible?
Nate G we cut a door in too, that’ll be another video
Thanks for the video =)
You’re welcome thank you for commenting and supporting the site please consider subscribing
How come you did not support the above meanwhile cutting the hole? How important is it that the preassure-treated wood in this instance is dry?
Olga & Joachim Osmundsen pt wood is code so we use it- not sure how important it is in this particular situation
Hey Rob, I’m going to do this job this week. What’s the labor rate for a job like this?
What do you do for squaring off the corners? I'm looking into cutting an opening in a solid concrete brick wall.
@@Dave_Simmons grinder or overcut
how do you finish out the exterior
Which windows sets did you eventually install? Those blck Anderson at 5:00? What's the point fitting different set first?
Approximately how much would this cost to get this done professionally The same way you did it.
@@bonniekaltunowicz7178 prob 5500 - 6500 with window
Why do companies leave the cutout concrete on bottom of hole before backfilling
I have a cement walkway around my entire house. How can I install a egress window? Do I need to cut not just threw the brick foundation but also the walkway?
not sure
In the video, How did you support the buck board into the supporting brick foundation. Any Suggestions to have it fastened securely. Sorry if this question has been asked/answered. Be safe.
Large Tapcons
Is it possible to cut the block without water? We have rooms already built in our basement and we need to install two egress windows. Yikes!
@@Froggerty the dust would be a HUGe mess everywhere unless you could get a vacuum attachment and dust extractor
How to finish the header on the outside wall? Stucco?
We trimmed it with pvc flat stock casing and a sill
Where’s the lintel?
Is a concrete block wall load ever bearing?
Yes
How did you build your header?
Four 2X8 header
block wall is a joke to cut , can use skill saw with concrete blade , but great video, for diy folks
2:05 I'm curious why you overcut the 2x6 so much? Was there sag when you cut out the block?
E30 M3 there was a gap between and sill beam and we wanted header tight to the sill, on
@@ConcordCarpenter there was a gap between. ..... and sill beam. What was the first part?
👍
Where was the temp wall while cutting so the house didn’t cave in? Nice vid
dave daved if you look at what was there prior 0:34 you’ll see the old window was up tight to the 6x8 sill, directly above that is a triple wide window with a modern LVL header spanning past this window left and right.
Wait. Is that even possible for the house to cave in by just removing a couple feet of the block foundation?
I want to see the temp wall. Enough said
Nate G not really, and definitely not in this situation
Come to my house.👍
Is the pressure treated lumber used because its dimentionally stable?
Tom Nelson masonry contact
A Concord Carpenter / ToolBoxBuzz Thanks!
Funny you didn't fill the cider block with concrete and wire mesh like you talked about, What a joke when people talk about how to do something but video themselves not even doing it!!! Can you answer as to why this was not done?>