Removing the Cat Flap

It is some years since we had cats and now we have decided to remove the cat flap. Having just competed a search for bricks to match the house wall, we found a small supply of them at a local builders merchant.  The bricks are a 1970 design  (LBC Cotswold) which is discontinued.

The first job was to remove the weather shield, which was tied into the wall as a permanent fixture.  An angle grinder and lump hammer got me started.

The wall fitting had a marine-ply box holding the cat flap, and the fixing screws were well and truly stuck.  I had to take a saw to the front of the box and prize the pieces out.  I will leave the step in whilst I brick up the front, as that can be removed later at leisure.

Before staring to lay the bricks, I fitted a patch of damp course and glued it down to overlap the existing damp course ends.  Then I cut all of the bricks to fit before mixing the mortar.

The brickwork was straight forward and I fitted brick ties to lock it into the existing wall.  Just the last 2 bricks to lay, and this is the tricky bit.

The jobs a good one - now I need to let it dry out for 48 hours, then give it a waterproof treatment to seal the bricks.

The step will probably be removed in  a week or so, and the inner wall bricks and cavity insulation will be sorted in a few days time.  Then I can sort out the water butts and overspill drainage pipes.

The London Brick Company Cotswold Bricks are a notoriously dry brick and they are prone to spalling as they age.  The house is 55 years old and a few bricks are showing signs of spalling, so they will need to the sealed with a waterproofing agent to prevent any further damage.  That is going to be a next project.