Lintel advice please

[Gardennightmare2024]

Afternoon all
hoping someone here with experience could point me in the right direction.
Was thinking of having lounge window replaced with patio doors, but the window company builder surveyor said they won’t touch it because the concrete lintel is installed wrong, Crooked sloped. Some minor cracks. That they can not see conditions underneath the render. Can not see under the internal interior plastered wall. It’s a 1930’s ex council house. I was oblivious to this lintel problem.
Sandwell council had Lovell home and sycamore windows Ltd replace our single glazed upvc to double glazed in 2016. I think the original windows were metal iron.

Sandwell building dept are saying I need to pay nearly £400 for alterations application for a certificate. They want drawings and calculations. This is going to be expensive to rectify so I can’t afford to have the patio doors. Have to keep the window. Just need to get the lintel replaced?
Struggling to find a trustworthy builder and structural engineer.
I’ve looked on RICS and results show home buyers surveyors which don’t show structural engineers.
I contacted a company who quoted without visiting. Their website says all services include building reg etc applications. Certified etc but quote says installation cost only of a lintel/angle iron.
Do I need a structural engineer to submit drawings and calculations to the building department for replacing a like for like lintel ?
Do I find individual structural surveyor and a builder ?
Or try to find a company that includes and does the whole process?
Had a builder doing driveway recently and started building a porch brick base but their brickwork is not level not to professional standard so that’s been a big waste of money. Poor workmanship and they won’t answer me or come back to rectify the porch base. Lost trust in builders they take my money and do half a job. Pretend they are legit experienced builders but can’t even lay 5 courses of bricks properly.

I know a good brickie builder but he’s always busy and no idea if he’s certified in any schemes etc. Don’t know if he’s certified to install lintels.

Another company I emailed has asked me to send them drawings to offer me a quote.

Any structural surveyors and builders on here available to quote ?

Thank you

 

[Wayners]

Maybe lintel was cast in place like mine. Bungalow built in 1960s.
They aren't a good shape or very level and the one above our patio has a few cracks in and bowed a bit but was probably like that from new.

I think you need surveyor to drill a few holes and stick a camera into the cavity and have a look to see what sort of lintel you have got.

 

[Dereekoo]

Installed wrong in what way? Do your neighbours have similar lintels?.

 

[Gardennightmare2024]

Morning
Yes the neighbours on our row of houses have same protruding lintels but mine looks upside down compared to theirs. Never noticed anything until window company visited last month.
I was thinking of taking off the internal wall plaster to see inside wall condition.
The exterior lintel does look like cast concrete and I don’t think it’s moved into that sloped position over the 24 years of living here. I think it’s been installed at a sloped angle. The silicone appears to be in the same place and we’ve never had it re siliconed. I don’t think the cracks have recently appeared.
The local surveyors comparison site contacts are emailing back saying they don’t do structural engineer jobs.
The company that quoted wanted 2k without and brickwork any cosmetic work. 2k seems overpriced from what check a trade and other comparison site job information and forum questions say.
I’m struggling to find a structural engineer.
Also the Fensa backed guarantee is rubbish. Council contractors clearly wasn’t bothered about this lintel in 2016. No records of any survey. Council left me with another costly mess. They seem to ignore their own building regulations. But now want their money off me to rectify their errors.
Should I get some builders to visit check their certificates and ask them if they have any structural engineer contacts ?

 

[jj4091]

If rectifying what is not as yet a problem would mean you could not afford the patio doors then I would be inclined to leave well alone. To be honest that window does not look very wide so without increasing the size of the opening you are not going to achieve much of an increase in light. Just direct access to the garden from the lounge which you may well not use much anyway. Speaking from personal experience and seeing how little my neighbours use theirs.

 

[Gardennightmare2024]

I think it’s rough 6 ft wide. I thought I could have had patio doors installed that’s why I had a window company around last month to quote. But now they say they wouldn’t do the job because their opinion is that the lintel should have been assessed properly and replaced back in 2016 when sandwell council improvement partnership upgraded the windows. So anyway now I can’t afford to have patio doors if I need to pay stupid amount of money for lintel, brickwork, render, internal destruction and plaster boards etc.
Really don’t know if it’s unsafe because I think it’s always been crooked with cracks. But maybe it’s always been failed since more than 24 years ago.
Already doing many renovations and landscaping etc so this will have to wait til next year. It’s too cold and wet to be taking sofa etc outside to knock off interior plaster. Probably take me weeks or month to find a credited structural engineer and builder anyway.
The driveway porch builders were meant to be civil engineers and bricklayer but turned out to be lazy cut corners type. Bad brickwork. So it’s hard to find an experienced lintel installer at regular normal price.
Is 2k for external lintel no brick remedial work overpriced ?

 

[Gardennightmare2024]

Forum man wayners suggested survey drill holes put camera in.
Where would holes be drilled ?
From inside the window reveals ?
If I take the internal plaster off I would expect to see huge voids hiding underneath the plastic trims inside the reveals.
I think there is likely an oblong or square shape lintel spanning above the internal area of the window. But no idea what’s going on with this weird shape external protruding out lintel.
For all we know it might not be laid on the brickwork correctly to specified measurements. The bricks could be crooked. Could be opening up an expensive can of worms.

 

[Gardennightmare2024]

Does anyone know a realistic cost to replace the 6-7 ft lintel ?

 

[cdbe]

There's no evidence that lintel has failed (unless it has been incredibly well concealed). Old concrete lintels can fail, usually due to corrosion of the steel reinforcement, but you will get literally years of warning - rusty stains, visible sagging of the lintel, cracking of the masonry above it. They don't just collapse overnight in a cloud of rubble.

Get someone else to fit your doors. Conduct regular annual checks for indications of potential lintel failure over the coming 24 years.

 

[Gardennightmare2024]

Hi
There is some minor hairline crack on the wall on starting from the top left side near the lintel. Crack on the wall along to lintel where it joins the house. But not noticed any concrete fell off onto the floor. Sealant is still in same place. Nothing seems to have changed or moved or fell off since 2016.
And it does look a tiny bit bowed. Probably always been bowed. It’s definitely been installed unlevel. The silicone sealant gap isn’t even thickness. Will have to put a spirit level on top.
Had a crack appear from near window wall diagonal across lounge ceiling. Faint hardly visible cracks in lounge wall plaster. Ceiling is old lath so could need ripping off. It’s easy to move when pushing it by hand.
Unsure if cracks coming from the window area because of the coving.
I’ve looked out back at neighbours lintels and mine looks like it’s upside down. Their lintels look same but the angle of lintel shape looks different. House 2 doors up I can see big cracks horizontally in their lintel. And next door neighbour I can see big stepped cracks above back door brick archway and the cracks goes up to bedroom window. It’s 4 terraced houses I’m end of terrace. Can see worse cracks in exterior of neighbours houses.
Another builder has looked at photos and said it needs replacement but awaiting quote price awaiting an actual visit to view properly.
Just wanted realistic price so builders don’t try ripping me off.