How Can I Check If I A Lintel Above The Window? (Updated Pics 20/11/15)

[blawes1]

Hi,

I want to change my 4 ft kitchen window as it's old and the double glazing has blown. Its a wooden frame with aluminum and a 10 mill gap in the glass. The house was built in 1971. The brickwork above the window looks like it might sit on the frame but I am not sure. The brick course is laid the same way as the rest of the brickwork. One window was already changed before I moved in in 2007 to a uvpc unit and you can see the base of the bricks above the top of the window. There was no mention of any problem in the survey with that window and lintels present or not present.

The wood above the windows is just a decorative pergola. The first 2 pics are from the window I want to replace. The last 3 are from an 8 ft window that was already there before I moved in.

Thanks for helping.

 

[ree]

From what i can see i dont think that you have lintels above any of the frames in the pics. Which would be unusual for a 1970's build?

You could drive a thin screwdriver up or drill up with a small bit to see if you hit metal?

 

[cAtLeYx]

Ree - Thought I'd butt into your posts. Why would having no lintel be unusual in a 1970s property - Bed reinforcement..??

 

[stuart45]

You can put a lintel in when you change the window. The beds might have some Bricktor in but I wouldn't put my house on it.

 

[blawes1]

Thank you for the answers. The span is 4ft. Do you think its acceptable to use a Catnic Lintel like this one and by removing the 2 bricks either side of the top of the frame and slide in and then pivot up the lintel in to its place or is that not possible. Im just thinking to not disturb the row of bricks across the span if they have been re-enforced or something similar. Replacing these 2 bricks would then have the lintel sat on them around 150mm each side.

 

[Deleted 224857]

Perfectly fine with that one. Use L10 from ig lintel. No need for a padstone.

 

[ree]

OP,

Have you investigated as suggested above?

Before taking any other kind of action you must determine if there are lintels in position or not.

 

[blawes1]

OP,

Have you investigated as suggested above?

Before taking any other kind of action you must determine if there are lintels in position or not.

Hi,

I have removed more of the wooden top section in the first pic all the way in and all I can see and scrape is the base of the bricks, similar to the base of the bricks I can see in pic 3 for the window that has already been replaced before I moved here. I know I have concrete interior lintels but would I find evidence of a lintel for the exterior anywhere else apart from supporting that layer of bricks directly above the frame. Im just thinking out aloud - could it possible for example to have a lintel be above that layer. I don't think so but I am would bow down to anyone that has a lot more experience than me in this area. Would it be an idea to get a lintel just in case and when the window comes out I might find one - can they be hidden that well? Thanks for helping. I do appreciate it.

 

[cAtLeYx]

You may be lucky enough to install the lintel as you've suggested, I would be prepared to remove more bricks though, I would also ensure temporary propping is installed prior to you removing the bricks you have highlighted (Acroprop and strongboy). There may be some wall ties in the cavity above obstructing as well. I myself would prefer to remove the wall plate and first couple of courses of brickwork (again ensure temporary propping is installed above) and install the lintel you have already identified. This may also allow you to install a cavity tray at the same time, readymade or using a DPC with the ends folded up, weep vents etc. Reinstate face brickwork.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

I would check that trimmer that your joists are fixed too. It looks as though it is very securely fixed to the internal skin of the wall. if it overlaps the opening by a fair amount (>12" each side) and there are some decent fixings away from the opening, then it could be said that you have an external (!), internal wooden lintel. Of course if the fixings go right through into the outer skin, then you have a wooden lintel.
I think that using a catnic with that trimmer will cause great problems. Of course you could replace the joists with longer ones!
Frank

 

[blawes1]

Hi everyone,

I took the plunge after taking out 1 brick which still didn't help so I took out the whole window. I bought a Catnic lintel thinking I will be sliding it up into the cavity but I didn't find what I expected to find. I was thinking there was no lintels at all but I found this double brick pattern above the wooden window frames. The top of the wooden frame wasn't actually touching the bricks at all and all it had was some mastic from the top of the frame to this double brick.

Can someone tell me if this is acceptable as a lintel for the outer skin. I guess it was done like this for a reason in the 70's. The inner row are on top of the inner concrete lintel and the outer row are half bricks cut longways.

Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks

(the wooden thing is just a decorative pagoda)

 

[kazuya]

no thats not acceptable as a lintel

 

[Nige F]

It may not be acceptable but I personally would get the window in and move on - everything looks OK but are there any cracks in the brickwork joints above the outside canopy. That mastic in a gap shows that nothing has dropped. Now if it was a house with lime mortar it would be a different scenario. Those bricks look as though they are holding well.

 

[ree]

Are there any cracks or bumps inside the kitchen wall? What about the ceiling? Why not check all your external frames for cracks or lintels?

The previous w/frame was timber with a PVC insert.

The IG L10 is a good suggestion but i think it would hit the full bricks above the ripped bricks. A customised angel iron would work but would need messing about. The fly in the ointment would be the central bricks.

I'm suspicious of the Pergola ledger being fixed directly above the window head: it seems to be very low - whats the brickwork like behind it?
But, then again, i'm suspicious of most anything folks do before selling a house.

The thing is with the sound advice to fix and forget - is when the next surveyor comes along and doesn't miss the lack of lintels?

Your call OP?

 

[blawes1]

It may not be acceptable but I personally would get the window in and move on - everything looks OK but are there any cracks in the brickwork joints above the outside canopy. That mastic in a gap shows that nothing has dropped. Now if it was a house with lime mortar it would be a different scenario. Those bricks look as though they are holding well.

Hi, There aren't any cracks at all on any of the brickwork above any of the windows. The wooden window that I took out didn't actually touch the line of bricks at all, just the mastic did. I guess there was a reason at the time to run that double row of bricks but I have no idea why. Both of my neighbours have exactly the same house built by the same builders in 1971 and have both changed had their windows changed and there hasn't been lintels added. Thanks for helping.