Replacing windows 1930s house header course and no lintel

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Looking to replace windows in a 1920/1930 house from wood to upvc

Construction is solid wall (220mm) and is built with a header course above windows (i.e no lintel)

Can a upvc window be fitted as a replacement without further reinforcement. Or is a lintel required to be fitted, unless window is replaced with another wooden frame?

I have had a fensa company round who would just fit new upvc - but dont want to be storing up trouble for later

View media item 39576
 
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Are you sure there is no lintel? The headers you see maybe 'snapped headers', bricks cut in half. I have a 1934 house and some of the windows have a header course like that but the 'headers' are half bricks with a wooden lintel behind.
 
You need a lintel

And your FENSA firm should be telling you that, and not fitting a plastic frame without one
 
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You have to bite the bullet and install lintels if you wish to replace the frames. The central post you see in the pic is the mullion, and the mullion is what ends up supporting frames with no lintel. This installation was sometimes practised in pre-war property, and definitely in post-war property up to the mid-fifties(because of a steel shortage).

Woody is right,FENSA means nothing in terms of expertise, the"surveyors" were last week selling timeshares and unless they sell,sell,sell they will be selling them again next week. It's another expensive government racket. As for the operatives, i've seen where they have caused structural failure in a 2-storey bay, and where the've created dry rot conditions thro utter carelessness and haste.
 
tim00 is spot on with his advice. When plastic replaces timber and no lintel is installed the pressure from the brickwork often cracks the glass or jams the frames.
 
Thanks all for your responses.

Looking into fitting lintels now.

The upstairs windows have the same construction, but on top of the soldier course is a tiled overhand, and then two more courses of brick before the roof plate.

As there is less brick above the upstairs windows, are lintels also required here?
 

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