Replacing a cracked Lintel... Big Window!
Discussion
I've been removing the last of the woodchip on my house, and for the most part it's not being hiding anything (which is rare), but the plaster above the biggest flat window was a cracked mess, and a bodge repair that must be at least 25 years old, after the fitting of curtain rail in the plaster, may have been in fact a repair to the plaster but caused by a cracked window lintel, outside its 8ft 9inch concrete reinforced lintel, and its imperial measurements, its a single storey bungalow, and on closer inspection on the outside there are several hairline cracks at its centre and a slight bow in it, up close with straight edge, as i say it looks like its been this way for decades, but now I know its there, my inclination is not to rely on the window frame to hold the roof up! I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of replacing them? I can find interweb stuff on how its replaced but I can't find any indication of ballpark costs? Anyone? Do you think you could claim it on the insurance? I've never claimed anything on it before (not saying I'm owed or anything!)
Pics would be a help but i've got a good idea whats involved. Very common scenario but surprising how structurally sound the lintel actually is. Nevertheless, its a job worth doing. No chance of claiming on the insurance unfortunately. Cost wise i'd budget in the region of one to one and half thousand.
Pictures would be good.
That's a big old lintel. They have a smaller one on the Wickes' website for £11. So I'd imagine one For the size you want would be £20-30ish?
If you get someone else to do the work, I'd imagine it would be about 1/2 - 1 day worth of work?
You'll pay for the fact that the builder has the knowledge and the experience to do it safely and properly, not because it's massively labour intensive and will take a long time.
Having said that, it's probably still good as it is. I've a had a play with reinforced lintels before, and they are really strong. It won't just snap where the cracks are over night. Over time, I'd imagine most lintels will bow a little.
Being a bungalow, it can't be taking too much weight above it?
There are a few Builders on here, so I'm sure they'll have good ideas as to prices.
That's a big old lintel. They have a smaller one on the Wickes' website for £11. So I'd imagine one For the size you want would be £20-30ish?
If you get someone else to do the work, I'd imagine it would be about 1/2 - 1 day worth of work?
You'll pay for the fact that the builder has the knowledge and the experience to do it safely and properly, not because it's massively labour intensive and will take a long time.
Having said that, it's probably still good as it is. I've a had a play with reinforced lintels before, and they are really strong. It won't just snap where the cracks are over night. Over time, I'd imagine most lintels will bow a little.
Being a bungalow, it can't be taking too much weight above it?
There are a few Builders on here, so I'm sure they'll have good ideas as to prices.
Slagathore said:
Pictures would be good.
That's a big old lintel. They have a smaller one on the Wickes' website for £11. So I'd imagine one For the size you want would be £20-30ish?
If you get someone else to do the work, I'd imagine it would be about 1/2 - 1 day worth of work?
You'll pay for the fact that the builder has the knowledge and the experience to do it safely and properly, not because it's massively labour intensive and will take a long time.
Having said that, it's probably still good as it is. I've a had a play with reinforced lintels before, and they are really strong. It won't just snap where the cracks are over night. Over time, I'd imagine most lintels will bow a little.
Being a bungalow, it can't be taking too much weight above it?
There are a few Builders on here, so I'm sure they'll have good ideas as to prices.
Appreciate the pic issue, and if i can upload it somewhere, I'll try and snap it in the a.m.That's a big old lintel. They have a smaller one on the Wickes' website for £11. So I'd imagine one For the size you want would be £20-30ish?
If you get someone else to do the work, I'd imagine it would be about 1/2 - 1 day worth of work?
You'll pay for the fact that the builder has the knowledge and the experience to do it safely and properly, not because it's massively labour intensive and will take a long time.
Having said that, it's probably still good as it is. I've a had a play with reinforced lintels before, and they are really strong. It won't just snap where the cracks are over night. Over time, I'd imagine most lintels will bow a little.
Being a bungalow, it can't be taking too much weight above it?
There are a few Builders on here, so I'm sure they'll have good ideas as to prices.
Yes i appreciate that most of the cost is going to be the faff, props, removal of the window temporarily and the cracked lintel, etc rather than the replacement lintel itself.
Sounds a bit of a nightmare. Quite typical though when old wooden windows are removed, they sometimes take a bit more of the load than thought. What ever you do, ensure that the new lintel is proped until the row of bricks above are in place/have set, that way the bricks transfer the loads to the supports in compression, rather than bend the beam.
I wasn't diy-ing it, christ no! just wanted to prepare myself for an impending ouch to my wallet.
There was a bodged plaster repair under the woodchip, suggesting this problem is not new, and maybe 25-30years old, so although the woodchip might have been contributing to holding the roof up (!), certainly the plaster together, I don't think it's coming down soon asand if it did it would be a peculiar coincidence. The window frame is no longer wooden, it's been changed at least twice. I almost wonder whether the lintel has been broken during when the original wooden frame was removed and aluminium double glazing put in the mid 70's (this is my parents old house), and I have no recollection as a child of that window when it was replaced. I replaced it during the summer, the glaziers mentioned the lintel, but they thought it was ok (I know, I know glaziers, but I was so f
ked off with modernising this house, its taken 4 years, and a small fortune). Now seeing it from the inside, I'm thinking I'm not getting the plaster prepared if its just going to crack and fail again, and then thinking about, I really shouldn't ignore something that is structural.
There was a bodged plaster repair under the woodchip, suggesting this problem is not new, and maybe 25-30years old, so although the woodchip might have been contributing to holding the roof up (!), certainly the plaster together, I don't think it's coming down soon asand if it did it would be a peculiar coincidence. The window frame is no longer wooden, it's been changed at least twice. I almost wonder whether the lintel has been broken during when the original wooden frame was removed and aluminium double glazing put in the mid 70's (this is my parents old house), and I have no recollection as a child of that window when it was replaced. I replaced it during the summer, the glaziers mentioned the lintel, but they thought it was ok (I know, I know glaziers, but I was so f
ked off with modernising this house, its taken 4 years, and a small fortune). Now seeing it from the inside, I'm thinking I'm not getting the plaster prepared if its just going to crack and fail again, and then thinking about, I really shouldn't ignore something that is structural.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff