How to Add a Door to Single Brick Walls

Creating the Opening

• 1

  Measure and mark the outline of the hole you need to cut into the wall for the door. Take into account the door itself, as well as the two-by-fours used for the header, sill plate and side jambs. Position the top edge of the opening inside the closest horizontal mortar joint above the door, as this is where the lintel will be installed. The lintel is an angled metal brace that provides support for the bricks above the door.

• 2

  Apply primer to the lintel and allow it to dry. Paint the lintel after the primer has dried. The primer and paint protect the surface of the lintel from rust.

• 3

  Cut through the bricks along the outline you drew on the wall with a masonry saw and carbide blade. Wear safety goggles, gloves, a mask and ear protection when doing this, as the saw blade will kick up a lot of dust and debris. You can rent the masonry saw at an equipment rental facility.

• 4

  Knock out the section of wall you cut through with a sledgehammer.

• 5

  Chip away any mortar that remains along the bottom edges of the bricks across the top of the hole. Remove the mortar from between the bricks around the top corners of the door along the same joint so you can fit the outer edges of the lintel between those rows of bricks. Extending the ends of the lintel wider than the width of the door provides added strength.

• 6

  Mix a batch of mortar, following the manufacturer's instructions. Spread the mortar along the bottom edge of the bricks in the doorway and on the outer face of the bricks over the doorway. Also, place fresh mortar between the bricks past the sides of the doorway where you removed the old mortar.

• 7

  Install the lintel over the mortar you applied on the bricks, sliding the ends of the lintel into the joint between the rows of bricks around the top corners of the doorway. Press the lintel firmly against the mortar, and brace it in place with two or three two-by-fours placed standing on edge between the ground and the lintel. Add more mortar to the joints around the edges of the lintel to completely fill them. Allow the mortar to set for the time specified on the packaging, then remove the braces.

• 8

  Measure and cut a two-by-four that is the same width as the doorway, and attach it to the bottom edge of the lintel with masonry screws. Measure and cut two two-by-fours to be the side jambs of the doorway, and attach one to each side of the doorway with masonry screws. Cut a fourth two-by-four to fit along the bottom edge of the doorway between the side jambs, and screw it to the threshold. This is the sill plate.

Installing the Door

• 9

  Check the sill plate for level. If the sill plate isn't level, nail shims to the top of it to make the surface for the door's bottom edge level. Trim the edges of the shims with a utility knife so that they're flush with the sill plate.

• 10

  Apply a strip of adhesive-backed aluminum tape to one side jamb, about 3 inches from the bottom, down to the ground, across the sill plate and 3 inches up the opposite side jamb. Position the tape so that it covers the front edge of the sill plate. Cut the tape in the corners where the side jambs come into contact with the sill plate so that the tape is flush against the framing. Add a second piece of tape to cover the back edge of the framing. Overlap the edges of the tape when applying the second strip.

• 11

  Run two thick, zigzag beads of silicone caulk across the sill plate to prevent water from leaking into the house between the door frame and the sill plate.

• 12

  Install the door into the opening by placing the bottom edge of the door frame against the sill plate, with the top of the door leaning out away from the house. Push the top of the door into the frame and center it inside the opening. Drive two nails partway through the flange around the door and into the wooden framing in the top corners. This keeps the door in position temporarily.

• 13

  Measure the door frame diagonally in both directions to check it for square. If the measurements are equal, the door is square. If the door isn't square, place shims in between the door frame and the wooden framing, adjusting them until the door is square. Nail the shims into place. Trim the excess shim material with a utility knife.

• 14

  Drive nails through the door flange and into the wooden framing every 6 to 8 inches around the perimeter of the door to secure it.

• 15

  Cover the joint between the flange and the wall above the door with aluminum tape.

• 16

  Measure and cut a two-by-four to fit across the top of the doorway. Glue a drip-cap to the board with carpenter's glue. The drip-cap help protects the wooden framing above the door from moisture. Nail the board with the drip cap to the wall above the door.

• 17

  Nail the side trim into place along the sides of the door. Apply a thick bead of caulk around the entire perimeter of the door to prevent leaks between the wall and the door.

• 18

  Insulate the edges of the door on the inside of the house with spray-foam insulation.

• 19

  Install the casing around the door on the interior of the house.