Bricking up part of window.

[cdbe]

I need to brick up part of a window. Any thoughts on how to tie the new brickwork to the timber lintel? I'm thinking just nail some expamet on and cement it in. Also, should I fit a proper cavity closer or just close in brick/dpc strip as it is now? It's old 1930's so I doubt it will make much difference. Or - as I'll fill the new cavity with 50mm celotex, just run that to the end of the brickwork and bond plasterboard over it?

Thanks.

 

[Ian H]

Swap it for a concrete one?

Are you going to knock the half braicks out to tie in as you go up? I did similar and added a strap to the timber but if I did it again i’d swap it for concrete.

I closed the cavity with Celotex (foil facing in/out rather than side/side) and expanding foam.

 

[^woody^]

Any thoughts on how to tie the new brickwork to the timber lintel

Why, where is it going to go?

 

[cdbe]

Ian, exactly as yours and I like the strap. I'm far to lazy to put a concrete one in - but I am putting one in the outer skin where the soldier course has collapsed.

Woody, you're almost certainly right but I just thought it might provide some restraint as roof spread is pushing it over a bit:

 

[Ian H]

I put the strap right up and onto the wallplate too. It’s all that holds the back of the house up

 

[^woody^]

Woody, you're almost certainly right but I just thought it might provide some restraint as roof spread is pushing it over a bit:

You expect too much of the roof. Just pushing the lintel and not the wall next to it - the wall it is strapped to, to boot!

 

[cdbe]

Hmm.

The current situation is that the brick "piers" either side of the window have not moved (presumably because they are both tied into the nearby perpendicular walls at either side). I'm guessing that the wall plate has moved outwards fairly evenly along the top of the wall and pulled or pushed the lintel and the single course of (now) loose bricks above it outwards:

So the lintel and bricks above are now pretty much independent of the rest of the wall.

So should I be trying to tie the lintel back into the wall, but not to the wall plate, or the wall plate to the lintel, or the whole lot together or nothing?
While I'm not worried that anything is going to fall down I think I'm going to have problems with my plaster finish cracking if it's not more rigid.