Is special preparation required for enclosing a former doorway behind a masonry wall? – GreenBuildingAdvisor

Hello. 

We removed a door that used to provide access to our house from the garage. On the interior side of that wall, we used two layers of fire-rated drywall and insulated with dense-packed cellulose. On the garage side of the wall, there’s a door-shaped empty frame in the masonry wall. I have a few questions about how we should brick up that doorway. [I attached some pictures.]

1. When we brick up the doorway,  could off-gassing from the mortar cause potential moisture issues for the drywall? Do I need to treat the drywall before we brick in the opening? 

2. On the garage-side of the wall, should we seal the seams between the drywall and 2x4s before doing the masonry?

3. Should the new masonry to brick in the doorway be ‘toothed’ to match the rest of wall? I understand that the toothed version will be stronger, but to what extent is that relevant in this context?

I’ll appreciate any guidance you can provide.

jp