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Windows & Door fitting

Window lintel?

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 2.48 PM

Hi, I was recently removing the wallpaper form one our bedrooms to have the room reskimmed, anyway one thing led to another and before i knew it we were left with very little plaster around he window with the bare bricks exposed at the top. The house has external render and i think this is the only thing that is holding some of the bricks in place as they wobble when you touch them and seem to just be resting on the frame of the window. Would you be able to tell me if there should be a lintel on the inside and outside as there seems to just be one on the inside, a wooden one (the house does not not have a cavity wall it is solid). I want to get the room re-plastered but am a bit unsure on what needs doing on the window first and what tradesman would do this? Much appreciated Hayley

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2 Answers

GRZEGORZ ZWOLSKI

Rating: 5 out of 5

Banbury

Generally each window should have a lintel rested at least 150mm on each side of the window to hold bricks. It is bad practice to put brick on the frame (and when you change window usally evert thing above is collapsing...) Answering your question the easiest way to check 100% take a drill and do a little hole in the rendering above window, you will see colour of the dust. If, red there are no lintel if wood or concrete you have lintel. I'd expect on solid wall, one lintel and on cavity 2 lintels I you have metal lintel you'd need take out pointing laying on the top of window frame you will see metal resting on the window it may be just a 2/3mm thick then just fill it with mortar back and paint. regards Greg

Answered13 February 2012

Anonymous user

its an old house ,they used to use timber lintels over windows and doors ,entirely up to yourself but unless it is completly rotten eml and re-plaster over ,in an old house just stripping back can open up a can of worms and be very costly,its the old saying in these properties if its not broke dont fix it lol

Answered13 February 2012