No lintel?

[Johnboy54]

Hello to all.
I need to change the windows on a house I'm buying.
The one in the link concerns me.

//www.diynot.com/network/Johnboy54/albums/

Is it ok not to have a lintel as that shows?
If I remove the window, should I cross my fingers or pin the wall above?
Should I install a lintel below the bricks, if so, concrete or metal?
Thank you.
John

 

[noseall]

The image is not the most revealing, but it looks to me as though that window may not be original and has been retrospectively fitted.

If this is the case then i would advise a proper lintelling arrangement.

 

[Johnboy54]

Ahhhh!
The old lintelling arrangement, eh?
What's that then?
Should I pin above to stop the house collapsing do you think?
It looks solid enough to me to not have to pin, but I've never done anything like this so I'm probably not the right person to be hazarding wild guesses.
Concrete lintel/s set 4" into side walls?
I agree that the window is not the original.
The others are sturdy sash, but still have full stone lintels above.
Not sure what happened with this one.
It looks like an original opening, but not the same full lintel.
Thanks for the reply.
John

 

[noseall]

Sorry, when i said window, i meant to say is 'window opening'. The hole was cut into the masonry to accommodate a new window location. Perhaps?

Anyway, propping or pinning is not required, the worst that could happen is you will lose the blocks directly above the window. This may be a blessing. Re-building above the lintel would be necessary anyhow.

How thick are the walls? Proprietary metal lintels are more discreet than concrete.

 

[stuart45]

Sorry, when i said window, i meant to say is 'window opening'. The hole was cut into the masonry to accommodate a new window location. Perhaps?

Looking at the reveals and and lack of lintel I would think that this is probably the case.

 

[Johnboy54]

Thanks so much to both of you.
I'll now cut in - does that sound like I know what I'm doing? - for a steel lintel and face it with bits of stone.
That's below the 2 stones perched there already.
I'll wear a hard hat; bowler - and gloves; have to be black leather - and glasses; rayban, goes without saying, or are they so yesterday?
Really soft leather so I can still cross my fingers though.
If it does cave in I'll just make it a bigger window.
The wife's very nosey anyway.
Asking where I've been until 4am etc.
I'll post a pic later of the emergency services pulling me out of the rubble.
Thanks again.
John.