Hey I got a dilemma, that is I have to increase a garage door opening from 7 feet to 12 feet and add a foot in height to the door (from 9 to 10). The wall is all cinder block which goes up to about 20 feet tall and 40 wide (it's an old refrigerator for apple crates ) now I know that the opening must be supported but I would like to know how one would go about supporting it as the hole is getting cut or if the blocks should self support long enough for me to remove the excess block and put the h beam in place to support the opening, Thanks

:eek: :cool:

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Originally Posted by nickgaud

Hey I got a dilemma, that is I have to increase a garage door opening from 7 feet to 12 feet and add a foot in height to the door (from 9 to 10). The wall is all cinder block which goes up to about 20 feet tall and 40 wide (it's an old refrigerator for apple crates ) now I know that the opening must be supported but I would like to know how one would go about supporting it as the hole is getting cut or if the blocks should self support long enough for me to remove the excess block and put the h beam in place to support the opening, Thanks

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I cut out a 10' span for a steel header and my block did stay in place.

I was fortunate,an engineer told me that if the blocks do let go... they fall like a pyramid shape...

If you cut out 10 block.the above course can only let 9 block fall out... and the course above that will only let 8 blocks fall out... in succession all the up to the 10th course above,where only 1 block will fall out.

I hope you get that... lol.

And a brick layer frind of mine told me they have a tool that they use told support the courses above.

Another friend told me the union takes out the course above the header also,but I did not remember why.

My question is;after you get the new header in... do you just let it rest there,or do you have to attach it to the masonry?

You must make several holes in the block above the 10 ' mark so you can install perpendicular cribbing and jacks to carry the weight while you install your steel header.

I am not the one who needds the help,but I hope he got your answer.
In my example I did not have to,the blocks stayed in place,long enough for me to wrestle the beams in place.

But now that the beams are in,is that it... do they just lay there,or are you required to tie them into the masonry?

You should back fill all voids between the block and the header with mortar. Ideally headers should have a nailing flange or mortar flange. My concern for both of you is that the new section of the wall at each end of the door was not originally designed to carry the load from above the door. Did either of you beef up under the ends of the beam?