I'm looking to purchase a property which the following has been raised on the survey:
> There do not appear to be lintels to other openings where mortar joints are not continuous across the head of the window but instead run into the brick headers. These should be fitted to prevent settlement and slippage of the headers bricks and brickwork above the openings.
There does not appear to be any slippage so far from the windows, and the windows were installed aprox 5 years ago by a FENSA registered glazing company.
When I last had windows done on my property we discussed metal lintels which sit in the cavity wall to support the brickwork, is it possible there has been something like this fitted and it's just not visible from the outside or would that be something you would be able to tell from an external inspection?
If there are not lintels fitted what kind of work would I be looking at to get them done? Would that be something a glazing company would do?
The property is 1930s traditional cavity brick construction, with soldier courses above the windows.
Thanks
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Hi Hugh
I haven't come across a building without lintels before, unless the header bricks on the external wall form an arch?
I've just finished a 17 million pound restoration from around the same time period and they typically have timber lintels on the inside and brick arches externally.
Are you sure the property is cavity wall also? Cavity walls weren't really popular to a while after.
There's a very slim chance a window fitter would install windows if there's not lintels.
My bet is the survey is entirely wrong and suggest you get a second opinion.
It's major surgery to take out the windows and install lintels whether they be metal or concrete. But my bet is you wont need to do that.
Regards
John
If the soldier course above the windows show no visible cracks then it is possible that the soldier course is attached to the poured concrete internal lintel, but the company that changed the windows last time should have advised the fitting of single skin catnic lintels to support the external soldier course, this prevents any load or Down force directly on the head of the UPVC Windows, these lintels can still be fitted.
Answered26 June 2023
0
Anonymous user
Hi,
In past experience a horizontal soldier course can become loose once a window is taken out as the mortar used years ago can now become quite powdery so yes you’re right in saying a steel angle lintel would need to be installed to carry the soldier course but I doubt a window fitter would carry this job out for you.
Regards
Bob
If a FENSA registered company fitter the windows then they should not have bricks sat on windows frames and there should have been lintols fitted
I would go back to FENSA for proof of the installation confirming
