I have an old bomb shelter in my garden, that the previous owner hacked away at to fit a window. I’d like to block up the old entrance on the left, as it’s too narrow going round the corner to get a bike in, and open up the window opening down to the floor to get a good solid door fitted – plan is to use it as bike storage. Once I brick up the old entrance, I’ll probably render the front too.

You can see how thick the walls are at the left of the current opening, will I be able to cut through that with a standard hired slab cutter?

[/url]Bomb shelter by nobeerinthefridge, on Flickr[/img]

Diamond blade nae bother.

Can’t you get the bike in by popping it onto the back wheel with the bike vertical and then rolling it in the door and then reversing back into the room ?

Although that gives you a security issue so probably best to do as you propose.

Can’t you get the bike in by popping it onto the back wheel with the bike vertical and then rolling it in the door and then reversing back into the room ?

No, it’s too tight even to get the road bike in, never mind the MTB’s!

Yep. Big diamond disk Will do that fine. You’ll need to go from both sides and it won’t go all the way through but enough to let you finish it off with a sledge hammer. Noisy and dusty job. An alternative is to stitch drill it then sledge hammer. Not as neat an edge but not too bad. Is it original ww2? Seems a shame but I suppose better than knocking down.

I’d be getting a brickie to do it.

The brickwork is one and a half brich thick laid English bond. Every course you cut through will involve cutting along the length of the headers ( the bricks which are laid so you only see the short end) This wont leave much of the brick once you make the cut, many of the old bricks won’t survive intact and you’ll need to patch it up to form a neat jamb for the new door.
I’d be knocking out the individual bricks and then patching up the edges rather than cutting it.

What if I was to cut along the edge of the headers PP?

As above use a diamond disc but use water on the disc. Most disc saws will have a water connection on them. The blade will cut more efficiently and you won’t get the dust.

Get cutting!

Are you going to take down the internal wall too?

What if I was to cut along the edge of the headers PP?

There are headers and stretchers ( the longways ones) in every course alternating i.e

bottom course – Headers on the inside and stretchers on the outside
next course – Headers on the outside and stretchers on the inside.

If the joint between headers on either side of the wall is aligned in each alternate course then that’s where you’d want to make the cut. It’s more likely that the joints on each side will be offset from each other .

Given the small area. I’d still be doing it with a hammer and bolster or a hand held breaker ( a big SDS drill with a chisel would be ideal) and taking out whole bricks rather than cutting it.

A bricklayer will be along in a minute to tell you i’m talking shite.

Oh yes water on it to keep dust down.

In a few years silica lung damage will be the next generations asbestos.

Thermic lance, just for the laugh

[Img]http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/files/2015/03/nukeit.jpg[/img]

Shaped charge…

or you could try and demolish it like a pal of my dad’s did, by standing on the inside and smashing the walls with a sledge…

Concrete chainsaw for the win 😆

http://www.stihl.co.uk/STIHL-Products/Construction-Machinery/Petrol-cut-off-saws/22104-510/GS-461-Concrete-saw.aspx

You had me at “chainsaw”…

Are you going to take down the internal wall too?

I’d like to, but it’s a one piece poured reinforced roof, and I’d rather leave the internal wall for support.

I may actually block up the internal door and then have 2 outside doors, the one on the left for lawnmower etc.

[/url]Bomb shelter by nobeerinthefridge, on Flickr[/img]

Thermic lance, just for the laugh

I came here to make sure this had been suggested.

I could see the Ayrshire Estate Agents marketing that as an ‘exclusive traditional detached villa’ 🙂

What if we get bombed? How will you ride your perfectly intact bicycles then? humm?

I could see the Ayrshire Estate Agents marketing that as an ‘exclusive traditional detached villa’

It’d need a porch and a rocking chair. Somewhere for Uncle Dad to sit and play his banjo. 😉

^^^^ 🙂

East Kilbride and Wishaw can only aspire to be on the Ayrshire Riviera…. Away and give each other a high 6!

Have you got planning permission?

No, it’s too tight even to get the road bike in, never mind the MTB’s!

Wouldn’t want to be a fat knacker when the Heinkel’s came over would you!

perchypanther – Member

I’d be getting a brickie to do it.

I’d be getting the Luftwaffe to do it.

Luftwaffe bombs Prestwick – causes £35million of improvements 🙂

😆

PP – What about cutting maybe 8 inches too wide, then using concrete block to re-make the faces at either side?.

I believe you should be concerned about the possibility of damp, and include a wood-burner.

PP – What about cutting maybe 8 inches too wide, then using concrete block to re-make the faces at either side?.

It’s irrelevant where you make the cut – the issue is that you’re cutting thin slices through the long dimension of old (guessing WW2?) bricks, a proportion of which are likely to break / crumble.
If you remove whole bricks then make up the fair face of the opening with accurate cuts from new bricks, this won’t be a problem.

SOG – Yes, there is a damp issue at present, mainly due to the part of the garden behind being 3′ higher, and no proper ventilation in there at present.

I’ll be addressing both issues.

Why stop at a new door or two,go for a massive secret bunker underneath,with full zombie survival kit. #mostsecurebikeshedeva 🙂