Home DIY

I dont have this issue with the milwaukee's, apart from they deafen you with how loud they are.

We use them all the time on brick and some of it is as hard as fuck.

Thats a sorta old head, you dont really get valves with them heads on them now. Probs be able to hunt one down on the internet tho. Id change the value if it was me!

If I square this arch myself am I going to die? My hunch is no due to the beefy rsj but wouldn't mind sharing the blame should the worst happen. Thanks.

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Well that's a bit of a result - I couldn't say for sure myself, but it would probably be helpful to know how long the RSJ extends beyond your proposed square corner.

Fill yer boots, would be my gut instinct from what I can see.

It's only a brick wide and not behaving as an arch, in terms of support. It's not keyed.

Good question, shining a torch where the rsj enters the wall it looks to end at the corners, so not continuing further into the house/next door. From hardly doing any DIY, to this, it all felt terrifying but happy with my progress today now the literal dust has settled.

@Ben6899 this is my hunch as some of the bricks at the very top of the arch seem to rattle so makes me think they're not actually doing anything structural. Also there's a thin steel beam concreted underneath which you can just make out, but can't see how this arch was allowed to happen back in the day if it really was load bearing.

Is left of the photo the party wall with next door? And what's the wall like that has the door in it (on the right)?

Yes party wall to the left and the other side of the door is a solid brick wall, it's one side of our hallway.

Strong magnet might be able to determine where that big lump of steel extends to.

and the other side of the door is a solid brick wall

Structural, you reckon? What I'm getting at is that the RSJ is probably simply supported on these walls... and it's a heck of an RSJ. Maybe put there when the room was knocked through in the past.

I'm pretty sure the single skin of bricks underneath it is doing nothing.

Good idea, although pretty certain it ends at the corners of the wall from re-looking with a torch.

@Ben6899 that would make sense. In that case think I'll stop hammering lower down bricks out with so much enthusiasm in case the RSJ decides to liberate itself and I'm underneath. Ta!

I've just spotted what looks like some more steel in the exposed arch? Did I miss that in your description?

That's... interesting.

Yes, it's only about 5mm thick steel cemented to the underside of the arch. Thanks for the help.

No problem!

I'm not a builder, so not seen this before. But it might be a technique used simply to maintain the shape if it's just cemented on.

Howdy, partner...(rattle of spurs and the sound of rusting leather chaps)

Wow. Can you afford not to do the Job? As I get the bad feeling that you will get the blame for the dangerous state the roof has been left in.

Wow a bring arch, they are usually plaster...somes times I have found acro props in boxing.

It was covered in plaster a few hours ago but like you, didn't account for the bricks inside!

Not a builder either, but I'm pretty sure that steel must've been put there before the bricks and cement above it rather than the other way round.

Can't imagine how it could've been constucted without the support from below.

Sorry wasn't clear, those plaster arch sections that you can get. With a void inside.

It's hard to say without seeing it in person.

I would suggest getting a qualified person to give you an idea of how compromised that RSJ is given the rust visible on the web in your photo.

EDIT if it's just surface rust, then removal of the rust and a fresh coat of red oxide paint would be a good idea.

Can you afford not to do the Job? As I get the bad feeling that you will get the blame for the dangerous state the roof has been left in.

I'm not too worried about that. I have all my concerns in writing as well as time and date stamped photos of the condition of the site before and during my work and hopefully soon I'll have some completed ones as well.

We had a beam not dissimilar to that, it was supported by absolutely fuck all. Make sure you see the ends of yours before you make any assumptions.

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https://youtu.be/Y_KtQ1BqfHM

EDIT Not strictly true it's supported by at least 2 "structural" 4 X 2s and a sheet of plasterboard. That's pretty bad, and by pretty bad I mean appalling.

Sometimes wonder if we even have a beam in ours given the state of everything else

You forgot the closed door doing some heavy lifting too.