Bricking up a window - to remove concrete lintel or not?

[guitarmanjon]

Evening

My plans for this weekend involve bricking up a window that lets light into a cupboard under the stairs. We want to use the wall space that we'll gain in the cupboard to fit a boiler.

I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing in terms of the actual bricking it up but I'm wondering if I can remove the concrete lintel that is sat above the window.

Is the lintel necessary once I've bricked up the window with a double skin? If I can get rid of it, what's the process?

If the lintel will cause bother in terms of removing it, I'll leave it where it is and we can have a random white-painted bit of concrete in the wall.

Image included - rotated for some reason so you might have to tilt your head.

View media item 47699
Thanks
jon

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Is the lintel necessary once I've bricked up the window with a double skin? If I can get rid of it, what's the process?

No, once you've bricked up the opening the lintel is redundant. You'll need to rake out the mortar around the lintel with an SDS drill or something. Don't go whacking it with a hammer as you may disturb the brickwork around it.

If the lintel will cause bother in terms of removing it, I'll leave it where it is and we can have a random white-painted bit of concrete in the wall.

If you want it to look like there was never a window there, then you will need to carefully tooth in new brickwork with bricks of the same type.
The span of the lintel is about 525mm so the brickwork should easily arch over the opening temporarily once the lintel is removed. You might lose a few bricks if the mortar gets disturbed when removing the lintel but they can be put back easily enough.

 

[guitarmanjon]

Thanks for the response, much appreciated.

Should I brick up most of the window first and then "tap" out the lintel or can I take it out before I start bricking up?

I was planning on heading to a brickyard in the morning to try and get matching bricks and tooth them in for a smooth finish.

Cheers
jon

 

[^woody^]

Your brickwork will never blend in, and it will always be obvious that a window was there, so save yourself the bother, and leave the lintel in

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Your brickwork will never blend in, and it will always be obvious that a window was there, so save yourself the bother, and leave the lintel in

I'm looking at a house opposite mine right now. The side door was bricked up and toothed in a couple of years ago. The brickwork is a near perfect match...it's more easily distinguishable by the difference in mortar colour...

 

[guitarmanjon]

I did wonder about the mortar colour. However, that whole side of the house needs pointing later in the summer so the visible mortar will match after that.

So, best way to get the lintel out then - take it out at the same time as the window or partially brick it up and then take it out?

I only ask because I know the lintel is there for a reason!

Cheers
jon

 

[joe-90]

Leave it in and brick up what you can, then you won't have to worry about loose bricks landing on your head while you work.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

So, best way to get the lintel out then - take it out at the same time as the window or partially brick it up and then take it out?

I only ask because I know the lintel is there for a reason!

I'd take it out first. You won't have any problems on that span. If you try taking it out later you risk disturbing the brickwork you've just laid.

 

[stuart45]

Another option would be to brick it in with the lintel and cill in place and set the brickwork back slightly.
This is a feature used by architects to copy older properties that did this because of the window tax.

 

[guitarmanjon]

Another option would be to brick it in with the lintel and cill in place and set the brickwork back slightly.
This is a feature used by architects to copy older properties that did this because of the window tax.

I did wonder about that. When searching for tips on bricking up windows loads of images came up of these tax-dodging windows. How would you do a double skin of bricks if the external ones are set back? Thinking about insulation between the brick layers.

 

[Alastairreid]

Leaving it in gives the appearance of a bricked up window in a derelict house...imo.
Do all the prep first ie sill, toothing then lintel.
use reclaimed brick.
You will probably loose the course directly above the lintel, and to make it easier cut pockets either side.
Its not difficult.

 

[cotswoldbuilders]

Save yourself a load of work.
Leave the lintol in, brick up opening, setting the bricks back about 50mm.
If the lintol is stone, clean the paint of it.

 

[stuart45]

Another option would be to brick it in with the lintel and cill in place and set the brickwork back slightly.
This is a feature used by architects to copy older properties that did this because of the window tax.

Thinking about insulation between the brick layers.

Is the cavity already insulated?

 

[theoldun]

As it would appear you have never toothed up brickwork before, believe us, when you have finished it will look a right pigs ar*e and devalue your property.
Lintel. Lay even money it is a concrete boot lintel sitting on internal wall and part sitting on exterior wall with a fake face rendered on the front. The lintel as shown is not a lintel. Stuart should have spotted it, but then again some of these old Somerset boy’s have a time lapse.
Would suggest, fix two 50x100 to internal wall across window opening. Height and spacing’s to match fixing points on boiler. Fix 15 or 20mm of Micalite fire resisting board or similar to studs with board being 100mm bigger all round than boiler. Paint back of studs and board white before fixing. Rattle a coat of paint over the window first.
You will get a certain amount of natural light filter through top and bottom.
Regards oldun

 

[stuart45]

. The lintel as shown is not a lintel. Stuart should have spotted it, but then again some of these old Somerset boy’s have a time lapse.

I've only just realised the photo is on it's side oldun.
I thought it had a brick lintel with a concrete jamb on one side and a tiled jamb on the other. Shows a need to read the posts a better.