Dryer vent thru a brick wall

[louis mason]

hi!

i'm moving the dryer in a basement and need to vent thru a 1-1/4 foot (2 bricks) thick brick wall. i need suggestions for a solution.

Two questions:

1) should i rent a coring drill and just pust the hole thru the wall? can one get a 4 inch hole with a hand held coring drill?

2) is there a smaller solution to venting a dryer than a 4 inch hole? how would a 4 inch flexable tube from the dryer work if in encountered a reducer down to 2 inch when passing thru the wall?

any other suggestions?


thanks louis

[crokett]

Mark the outline of the dryer vent tube on the wall. Drill a series of holes with a hammer drill bit around the outline. Use a small cold chisel to break out the remaing brick. The more holes you drill the less hammering you do and you minimise the chances of cracking the brick.

You could also do it faster by making a square hole large enough to put the dryer vent tube into then use a flange on the outside to fill the gap. I would not reduce the vent tube down in size

[louis mason]

multiple holes

thats a good idea of using multiple holes- the "calculus solution".

what about drilling the multiple holes with the 2 inch coring drill? wouldn't this do less damage than hitting the bricks with a hammer drill? this is a brick wall from 1870 and the bricks are already dry and powdery. i want to damage them as least a possible.


any other ideas or comment welcome... louis

[gmack5]

I agree with Crokett, do NOT reduce the size of the Vent Pipe, you'll cause a Lint Plug to form on the near-side of the Vent.

Instead, make a Square opening that will clear your Vent Pipe, add a flange to cover the Opening, Inside and Outside. Fill the gap between your Vent Pipe and the sides of the hole with either sprayed-in-place Foam or stuff it, losely, with Fiber Glass Insulation Material. Be sure to Caulk the outside flange to the wall and your Vent Pipe to prevent Air-Leaks.

[louis mason]

square hole thru brick

OK, so let me get an understanding of this, would it be easier to just drill a small hole thru the brick and then cut a square hole with... what, a saws-all? i need a 1-1/4 ft thick hole. do i get a special saws-all blade that is this long for cutting masonry? do i cut 1/2 from each side of the wall? do i use another type of saw?

i can buy a piece of equipment (? 1/2 hammer drill?) for this project if needed.

what about renting the core drill ($120.00)- still an option?


louis

[bigsteel15]

Another option, depending on where you live, is to forget the hole in the wall and install one of those indoor venting kits.
The problem of course is the moisture. I assume if your house is that old that you're not in the west.
I also remember seeing filter/air booster kits that would trap the lint and boost the air going outside so you could use a smaller hole. This was 15 yrs ago when I was in the appliance business.

All that aside, I would highly recommend taking to a local brick mason or conctrete guy and get quotes to do it right. You don't want to cause a problem in your old home. Could they justify charging you more than $3-400?

[just4funsies]

My neighbor had this very problem. He fashioned a single brick-sized box from narrow-gauge steel, with a 4" round stub on the inside, and a sloped hood on the outside. Then he just mudded it in.

Here's a quick sketch... Seems like a lot of work to me, but he's good with metal, and it looks great.

[JimD]

I think the first reply was the best idea. A light duty hammer drill will go through brick like a normal drill goes through wood - or easier. A long masonary bit - as long as the wall is thick - will let you cut a hole by drilling a whole series of smaller holes. The flange around the dryer vent will cover the ragged hole edges. You can also take a few bricks out and then cut them, mix up mortar, and put them back to make the hole but that is more work. Either way is easier than making some special metal piece.

Jim

[billwmeyer]

I agree with the others, don't reduce the size of the hole. It will reduce airflow and make your dryer less efficient and cause a lint buildup which is a huge fire hazard.

After you drill the holes closely together just use a cold chisel as Crockett said. You will be surprized how easily the brick will chip away. Make sure and wear safety goggles as the little brick pieces hurt like the devil in your eyes, and will get in them if you don't wear safety glasses.

Good luck.

Bill

[Hellrazor]

Do not reduce the vent sizing, you will have a pressure buildup and a lint problem by doing that.

How to make the hole is up to you. The drill method crokett mentions is the easiest. The harder way is to actually remove the bricks in the area then install the vent. Then cut the bricks to fit and mortar them back in. All comes down to what you are comfortable doing.

1 note... drill 1 hole in the middle from the inside to identify where you want the hole. Then do all the rest of the drilling from the outside. That will prevent you from damaging the bricks on the outside where it will be seen. Bricks have a tendancy to crack apart on the outside from the pressure of the bit on the last 1/8" of material and you land up with a "crater" on that side. Reminds me of the tearout from pushing too hard on a wood boring bit and the far side splits.

[crokett]

Louis,

I do not know of any sawzall blades for masonry. If you want to save $$$, a regular drill will work but a hammer drill will be much faster. However, once you have the drill they are good for other big jobs.

[Tree Farmer]

Funny you should ask, as I just completed this project on my house about three weeks ago. Now, while your house is old, you can do this if you use decent tools and take your time. You've gotten some good tips from other members here. Let me share a few:

*Use a corded hammer drill, even if you have to rent it: it makes the work go much faster.

*Buy decent-quality bits. I used the 12"-length versions of the Bosch-branded "Blue-something-or-another" hammer drill bits that you find at Lowe's. These worked very well for me and were well worth the money.

*If you're working through a dried-in wall, I would take both outside and inside measurements in order to optimize the hole's location. Then, I'd begin my center pilot hole on the inside wall in order to sucessfully work around studs and utilities. If you're going straight through a solitary, solid masonry wall, then I'd say the outside placement takes precedence.

*Like others have mentioned, trace the circle on the exterior brick wall, then drill several holes along the perimter. I drilled 1/4" holes that were relatively close together, then followed up with a 5/16" bit. This made the chiseling easier. I used a 1" cold chisel with a protective grip. Saved my hands a couple of times...

*When inserting the duct through the wall, use a pliers to lightly bend the lip inward. This should help prevent the duct from catching rough or sharp edges on its way through the masonry.

*Use a good caulk or mortar repair compound to seal the gaps.

I actually think that this job should be a little easier if the brick is a little softer. Good luck!

[louis mason]

helpful

wow, you guys are really helpful, i might have to take a picture of this project once the weather warms up and it gets underway.

with respect to hammer drills- there are two-speed and then there are variable speed. i was thinking of a Milwaukee $129.00 at Amazon-:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013


or is a variable speed Hitachi ($179.00) a better choice??

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013


thanks louis

[crokett]

Variable speed is better. I have a variable speed Bosch and use it for other things besides hammer drilling. It is nice to have the variable speed.

[jhart]

Did this to my 1893 brick home a couple of years ago, when we put the laundry area on the second floor. Walls were sheetrocked on the inside. Drew the circle I wanted to cut, rented a chipping hammer. Used my hammerdrill to drill a center through to place the circle point on the inside. Then, chipped/drilled small holes around the outside circle and used a cold chisel. Went smooth as silk.

Used some insulation to fill around the hole and vent and then Caulked around the whole vent area. Vent cover went over that on the outside of the brick. Took about 1/2 hour to do, including setting up the ladder.