Blocking up internal window between rooms - brick or batten?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Buy some bricks, ready-mixed mortar, a bucket and a trowel. You could do it yourself in less time than you'd spend getting quotes, making tea and otherwise fannying about.

Exactly! I'm no bricklayer, but years ago, I needed a door bricked up, and an alternative door opened up. As the bricks were bare, and on show, I opted to tooth the bricks in properly, and use original matching bricks, from my store, plus what came out from the opened up new door. I would challenge anyone, to spot where in the wall, the door used to be. It wasn't difficult, it only needed a bit of straight timber, to properly align it, as I built.

 

[stuart45]

My niece could do it.

My 15 year old grandson did ours.

 

[noseall]

Thanks for the advice, I’ll go from there. Soundproofing really is the biggest thing I want to achieve so it’s sounding like brickwork is the way.

I was thinking having someone brick it up and then a separate plasterer to finish.

Just block it up. No need for bricks if its being plastered. The beauty of using masonry v's studs is that the risk of differential cracking is slim. Plus if you use dense blocks you have the benefit of greater noise reduction. Just buy a wall starter, a herd of blocks, a couple of buckets of mortar and you're away.

Both methods have their merits and faults, so it's all about knowing how to steer around or counter them.

 

[robinbanks]

My 15 year old grandson did ours.
View attachment 366042View attachment 366043View attachment 366044

Did well with that stihl saw didn't he!?

 

[stuart45]

Did well with that stihl saw didn't he!?

My wife insisted I cut the bricks for him. Being soft hearted I tend to spoil the grand kids so I cut them for him. She wanted the basket weave panel, was really she should have made the cuts, but used the excuse that she's too tired after doing all the housework, ironing and cooking etc.

 

[robinbanks]

she's too tired after doing all the housework, ironing and cooking etc

Always wise to be kind about support services that enable a smooth life; they probably soak up more than 40 hours a week

Genuinely impressed with the end result though!

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I hope you told your grandson you'd had it plastered a couple of weeks later.

 

[Cellophaneskies]

Thanks to all responses.

In terms of type of block, do I need to pay this any particular consideration - ie if it’s too heavy, is my wall going to sink or similar!?

The wall is original to the house. Other houses in the same development/road have a solid wall here, or a small (0.5msq) serving hatch window. So originally it was entirely wall.

When drilling into this existing wall the blocks used are light grey and appear to have dark grey/black ‘chips’ or ‘stones’ inside, which can make drilling difficult as the bit wants to be guided between them!

I assume this means the wall was originally contacted from some sort of heavy block and a modern medium density block wouldnt be any heavier than the original materials..?

Or am I overthinking this entirely..

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Or am I overthinking this entirely..

Yes, massively so!

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Absolutely anything will be 1000% better than timber and plasterboard! As you'll be trimming every other block to fit the width, I'd suggest getting some that can be sawn with a cheap or old wood saw.

Ensure you get a good bonding pattern. E.g. if you need almost two blocks on the first course then on the next course put a block in the centre and sawn pieces either side - don't just put the slightly trimmed block on alternate sides so you end up with a very slightly jagged line right down the centre.

Bricks can be used to fill in where you need a block plus a bit. The cheap concrete "common" bricks from B&Q are perfect for this.

Use screw-in ties or a wall starter kit down each edge.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Common brick (L)215mm (W)103mm (H)65mm

These high quality common bricks are suitable for all applications.

www.diy.com

 

[noseall]

Absolutely anything will be 1000% better than timber and plasterboard!

Not necessarily, no. Also, the (lack) skill-set and swiftness of stud, has its appeal. Ordinarily, we'd probably stud it. It would depend what the customer wanted or the reasons for using masonry are more favourable than the alternative.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

As it's living room to kitchen I'd say it's necessary.

You'd regret cheaping out when you're sat with a book while the washing machine's on full spin or the other half's banging the pans about.

 

[Cellophaneskies]

This

As it's living room to kitchen I'd say it's necessary.

You'd regret cheaping out when you're sat with a book while the washing machine's on full spin or the other half's banging the pans about.

this is basically it. If anyone is doing things in the kitchen right now you can’t really hear the tv in the living room!

 

[Tigercubrider]

Bear in mind that if you use block work you need to allow for the plasterer’s coat so check with the plasterer how much depth you need to allow. The soundproofing will be better if there’s a decent skim/base over the blocks.

I’d allow 25 mm on each side