Does the lintel need replacing?

[Dace]

just uncovered this when re-rendering our victorian property, the bathroom just inside also has a wooden ceiling which im replacing, not looking forward to finding out why..

But hows the lintel look? The renderers were just going to use wooden treatment on it.
As long as I can get it done for under a grand or so, would be worth it. What's the wors that can happen if the conditon worsens when covered back up with render? Thanks.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

How thick is the wall, does that lintel go all the way through the wall, if stick a screw driver or something in it is the wood soft or crumbly or what?

 

[foxhole]

I would replace , the windows are probably holding the wall up more than the timber .

 

[tell80]

Well the pass has already been sold when whoever replaced the old wood frame with the plastic frame.

To attempt to save the lintel why not set strong boys just above the lintel, and then slide it out for inspection, and maybe some remedial work.
Just saying but the wall looks to be quite thick so there might be another lintel inside?
If you post pics of the bathroom ceiling then it might show a structural or a water damaged connection between the ceiling joists and the lintel?

The rot you see is wet rot but left in-situ and covered with render it might turn into dry rot.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The rot you see is wet rot but left in-situ and covered with render it might turn into dry rot.

How does that work? OP has stated (elsewhere) that the lintel is being cleaned and treated (hopefully with wood hardener)

 

[Nige F]

I googled but couldn't find anything about wet rot turning to dry rot. But then what do I know ?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Wet rot you tend to find on the outside of buildings (or inside if the roof has failed or where there is a persistent leak from a downpipe or the like). Wet rot really only affects timber that is soaking wet - so if you remove the source of moisture, dry the timber out, and clear out the punky timber that pretty much cures it. Dry rot on the other hand is a much bigger problem, but I've only ever seen it inside buildings, never outside. It will continue extending outwards for years in unprotected timbers which are slightly damp, i.e. around 20% but it doesn't seem to like soaking wet timbers - which is why air-dried timbers are taken to 16% moisture content in the UK, or well below the "rot point". As a point of comparison, most timber in centrally heated houses is something like 6 to 8% MC after a few years, having gone in at (typically) 10 to 12% MC (for kilned softwoods). BTW, that's why skirtings and architraves in new houses crack in the corners a year or so down the line and why we use scribed joints, not internal mitres, to disguise it

There's a good site by a treatment firm called Permaguard here]/url] which describes the two types of rot and the differences between the them

 

[Dace]

I could measure 35cm of depth ouside that the lintel reached to.
I don't think it will cost much even using lime to have to rip off a small section and re-render and paint in the future if needed. so unlikely to be super important to replace it now I think.

Anyway a couple more photos and thanks for the wealth of info all.

 

[Nige F]

Well the pass has already been sold

How much £ for ?