# Forum Home Renovation Brickwork  removing brick archways

## sheps75

Hi guys 
I am looking at removing the existing bricked archways and opening the doorway up to a more modern square shape.  Do I need to add any retaining lintels or similar at the top where the arch currently is?  Thanks in advance.

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## Vernonv

I would put a lintel in - just for safety sake.

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## TEEJAY

Arches tend to support themselves purely by their geometry where a square openning, say in brickwork, will have a triangle of unsupported brickwork wanting to fall. Should this happen what remains is an arch - such is the way  :Smilie:   
Cathedrals are essentially an arch and work on the same principle. 
So in short - yes you do need a lintel. The size depends upon the openning size (doorway width) and what is above. 
If you have a narrow openning and a lot of wall above this is good as the wall will tend to arch over the openning and you only have to support the triangle of brickwork. But if the openning is big and the amount of brickwork above is small and then you have a load on top of this such as a roof - this is not good as you will need a designed lintel for support of the imposed loads - this is assuming there isn't a lintel at the top already to support the roof and the brick arch was designed purely to support itself. 
As you can see there are a lot of variables, but all of them say "yes you need a lintel and the size depends upon the circumstances."  
Hope this helps

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## sheps75

thanks Teejay 
Much appreciated

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## davo_scuba

sheps75  
we did just what you are planning, got a lintel from bunnings diffrent lengths and thickness for the span (to be sure go the largest angle and make sure it sits a few bricks in) ours was 2700 and i think that i cut 100mm of the end. the opening was around 2100 i think.
the pictures tell the story from start to the finish. However i did take me a few days to remove all the brickwork at this point i went round to the neighbours with beers to make up for all the dust, then as i could not match the bricks i spent a few days cleaning them all and finished with a 1 spare. Take your time when cutting/chipping out the bricks as i managed to crack a few and had to chase them out to key it in correctly.
The cost was $ 80 for the lintle and $ 150 for the bricky + beers.

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## davo_scuba

and the final pic's.
we are quite happy with the results however will be cutting into the brickwork again in a few years to put a pourch on the front to finish.
it is not that hard to do and would recomend getting a bricky to lay the bricks he had it finished in two hours.
good luck and post some pictures  
davo

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## Bob38S

Nice job Davo,  
could never really understand those curved entry areas to doorways or garages. :confused: 
I'm 6'2" in the old money and unless you walk close the the middle of the entry then - well you can guess what happens DAMHIK 
Regards,
Bob  :Biggrin:  :Smilie:  :Biggrin:

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## Uncle Bob

Bump

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## PoorGuy

Hi davo_scuba  I'm wishing upon a star, please hear me oh great one. and respond? are you there? I need your help great one.

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