The homify guide to making openings in brick walls

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Making a hole in your wall can be something you need to tackle for a number of reasons but, whatever those reasons are, there is always a logical method to use. You might think that cutting a hole in the side of your home is a scary thing to start doing but we've put together some top tips for making the process easy and straightforward.

It really is all about measuring twice and cutting once, not to mention putting in the preparation time. As much as you might be feeling Gung-ho and ready to get cracking with the wall saw, we want to encourage you to take your time and really get it right so take a look at our advice and see what projects you could be confident enough to tackle this weekend!

Sketch out your idea

Before you get anywhere near the wall that you are planning to cut a hole in, make sure that you have sat down and talked about your ideas with everyone else in the household. From here, you need to at least do a sketch so you can all easily picture exactly how the end result will look.

If you have amazing brickwork, such as this example from iSTUDIO Architecture, you will want to be sure that your idea won't make it less impactful or beautiful. While you can always add bricks back in, why make work for yourself if you don't need to?

Mark the wall clearly

If your plans are firm and you are confident that they will look great and add something extra to your home, it's time to start marking out your wall and preparing it for action. It's not just a cliché to say that you should measure twice and cut once so check and double check your marks.

Be sure to check that your marks are level, even and exactly the right size, as once you start cutting your brick opening, you will struggle to rectify any problems. If you're unsure ask someone else to double check your lines as well. Two sets of eyes really can be better than one.

Decide how deep you want to cut

If you are trying to create an amazing feature, such as a living room wall brick opening, you might not need to go all the way through your wall or that might be exactly what you want to do! Either way, you are going to need to know exactly how deep you need to cut as this will directly impact on the tools that you use.

For shallow cuts, an angle grinder with a masonry disc will do the job without hesitation but for full penetration, you might have to look into investing in or renting a wall saw. Always make sure you have the right tool for the job or you might end up damaging your wall or, even worse, having an accident!

Make the hole

You've come up with a great idea, sketched it out, got family agreement and marked out the wall perfectly, so now it's time to take the plunge and make the first cut. This can be nerve wracking but we feel sure that as soon as you have done one edge, you'll be really in the groove.

Watching your brick opening coming to life before your eyes will really spur the project on but try not to get overly confident. Take your time, go nice and slow and focus on precision, not speed. If you're making an opening for a new window or simply creating a feature aspect, you will want neat edges.

Remove bricks and debris

With the hole cut, put your tools away and make sure you keep your safety specs on! We also think that safety footwear will be a good idea for this part of the process as you never know when loose bricks could fall out of the wall and land on your toes.

Start at the top of the brick opening and remove bricks and debris, one piece at a time. As you work your way down you will witness your new design feature really coming to life and you can make sure that you are neatly storing your removed bricks. You never know when they will come in handy for a future project!

Perfect the end result

Whatever you have made a brick opening for, you need to make sure that you take the time to really finish it to a high standard. If a window is going in, the pane needs to be sealed and secured in place properly or if you have removed some bricks to create a beautiful feature wall, take a moment to soften edges and seal them, if they need it.

By taking the time to really perfect the project, nobody will be able to tell that it wasn't done by a professional team!

For more wall inspiration, take a look at this Ideabook: Interesting Natural Wall Textures. Imagine all the possibilities with these materials!

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