Installing a new window (Including lintel)

I'm looking for some advice so I can install a window into our small bathroom which is currently windowless! These forums look quite active so hopefully someone here can help

I've been to the local building yard and the most appropriate lintel I can find for our timber frame house is an L shaped lintel. Does this sound like a sensible choice? I've seen on the internet some specific timber frame lintels that also attach to the timber frame as well as the outer later of brick.

Assuming I use an L shaped lintel, I plan to cut the mortar out to accept the lintel and then slip it in before removing the bricks for the opening. I wouldn't expect to need any acros for this as the bathroom window will only be about 600mm wide! My concern is how will the lintel be held in place? I'll wedge the lintel in place to take up any excess in the gap, then fill with mortar; will this be sufficient or is there a need to tie it in place?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

I'm guessing that you are thinking about working from the inside out, cutting the hole through the timber frame to expose the brickwork. Which is the only way you could slide an L shaped lintel in as you describe.

Sounds ok in theory but you have a few problems.

1. The lintel has to have good bearing at each side of the opening normally about 6"/150mm so right away you have to open up more on the inside to fit it in.
2. The mortar bed will be approx 10mm you'll never be able to clean that out sufficiently well to slide the lintel in, most of the l-shaped lintels have a drip to the front edge so will be thicker than a mortar bed. Bear in mind that the brick itself should be bedded on mortar on top of the lintel.
3. Again I guess you are going to cut the brick with a grinder/stihl saw or similar to form the opening. Are your bricks solid or perforated if not solid then you could have a real mess to the window reveals.
4. If you get this far then you also need to consider the window sill, fire stopping and a damp proof barrier to your timber frame.

Personally I'd work from the outside cut a slot in the brickwork to fit the lintel in probably about a metre long x 2 brick courses high to allow for bearings each end. Fit lintel and then lay new or salvaged brick packed tight to the old brick. Leave for a couple of days to go off, then cut your opening below. Cut timber frame and fit firestopping, dpc and sill. Fit window frame and finish.

HTH

Alan

Thanks for the advice Alan.

I hadn't considered there being a lip on the front of the lintel, that would stop me sliding it in from the inside as I'd planned. I'll go back to the builders yard and check what their lintel looks like.

I'd originally been advised by a builder that I should be able to slide the lintel in to the cut hole, so I'll try and speak to him first to see what he was thinking of.

Graham