Archived on 6/5/2022

Removal, fill-in catflap from wall

Rob
29 Aug '20

Looking to remove and fill in our catflap from a brick wall and would ideally like to DIY otherwise call in a pro.

Has anyone tried doing this themselves and have any tips, do I use expanding foam or cement or not worth the bother and recommend a pro?

Meldrew
29 Aug '20

I found it in easy enough DIY job and used a few bits and pieces lying around. I placed a couple of house bricks in the hole and packed around them (and front and back) with spare packaging polystyrene and bubble wrap for insulation. Then I used some metal mesh and rammed it in from the outside so that it was maybe recessed about 25mm. Then, I made up a cement sand mortar mix (quite dry) and slapped it over the mesh and smoothed it to match the level of the wall surface. This made it look solid to anyone looking from the outside. On the inside face I cut a piece of plywood to the right shape and wedged it in flush with the wall surface. Ideally, a bit of plasterboard would have been a better choice but I didn’t have any. I found some matching wallpaper ( I never throw anything away !) and pieced it in. It all looks solid enough but I can reinstate the hole easily enough if I need to.

Rob
29 Aug '20

Thanks @Meldrew thats reassuring and good to know. Reckon I can find a few bricks from any of the nearby skips.

ForestHull
29 Aug '20

If there isn’t already a YouTube video for this DIY job, I think the rule is that it becomes your duty to make one :laughing:

Rob
29 Aug '20

Lets see how good a job I do first :blush: