Cracks above outhouse window - assuming in need of lintel

Struggling to take a decent pic but I've got a single skin outhouse (1970's build) with a concrete roof. I'd noticed a slight sag in the soldier brick course above the UPVC window a couple of years ago but no sign of cracking - I've now noted some cracking to the mortar and movement of the bricks - on closer inspection, it looks to have been heavily repointed in these areas so I'm guessing this might have shown some cracking prior to the sale of the house to us 5 years ago.

For background - many of the houses on our estate look to be suffering from this in the houses, we're lucky as we have big concrete lintels on ours - I'm sure I've heard some time ago that the old window frames were solid wood and provided structural support which was lost when the UPVC frames were universally installed and lots of brickwork suffered.

Repointing would presumably be a short-term fix, what would the best course of action be? I'm assuming installation of a lintel would be the fix.

What sort of lintel, and assuming this would go directly above the UPVC window? Given what's above the soldier course i.e. 1 course of bricks and concrete roof - would the roof need to be propped during installation?

Is this a DIY job that could be done if I researched the process and materials properly? (I ask mainly because this week the Turbo in my car rendered it suitable only for the scap yard)

In the pics - it's the left hand couple of bricks you can see have dipped slightly - it doesn't look much but you can see sky from the inside. I've included some pics of doorways for reference.

IG L10 or similar. You won't need to prop the roof slab but you need to prop the lintel until the brickwork has gone off.

Or with care you may be able to slot the lintel in with the bricks remaining in place.

Thank you.

In the meantime I've been reading (dangerous I know) about putting two layers of helical bars - there is another course of bricks which you can't see on the outside. Is this any sort of solution?

The window looks banana shaped to me. Definitely take apart and rebuild above it.

The door looks original, so has the strength to support it as designed. Unless it's rotten you could just leave it, although it will rot one day.

Mostly for the door but also the window, the existing opening doesn't align with the brick courses on either side. Either you need to use messy cut bricks at the edges or move the top up or down and get a new door and/or window.

I'd put a beam across inside with a couple of acro props, very likely you'd get away with not doing but why take the risk.

You could use a steel angle iron.

Paint it well before fitting for rust protection.

MattB83 said:

Is this any sort of solution?

Click to expand...

No, not in this case.

The weight of those bricks need to be taken off the frame, and heli-bars are a solution to a different problem.

You need a lintel. Not a rusty bit of angle iron, not an ugly concrete lintel, but a proper galvanised or coated lintel