Hi,
Been in this early 60's chalet bungalow about a year and I'm looking to replace the doors and many windows. The original windows (Crittall, in wooden frames I believe) have previously been replaced with uPVC around 25 years ago, and with various cracks & deflection of frames I have doubts of there being any lintels in the external leaf.
One of the few not replaced already is the front door, which is a hefty wooden one with groovy glass blocks to one side, total span 1650mm, which I'm intending replacing myself with a wood core composite and glass panel. I can buzz out a lintel on the inside but no sign of anything on the outer leaf, proved today by taking one of the glass blocks out to check more thoroughly. Being a fully hipped roof there are only around 3 courses above the doorway, difficult to be sure as there's a porch ceiling but in any case quite low load hence not unreasonable for the original bricks to be laid on the wooden frame. I suspect the glass blocks were a slightly later addition as the BOE over the doorway does not extend the whole width, which doesn't quite explain why the inside lintel goes full width, but I'll have to have faith that it always did or they replaced it at the time, it all seems solid enough.
Been reading up on replacing lintels and have actually done a new opening myself many years ago, concrete lintel in a solid brick external wall, so props etc understood.
My thoughts are currently to prop with strongboys in the mortar line above the BOE and install a Birtley LA (angle 157mm x 93mm) lintel, have chosen this one as it has the least height I can find, and it should just fit in the space if I take the 2 courses above the glass and BOE above doorway out. At a standard length of 1950mm this gives the right end bearing but will be a real job to wriggle into place because the porch wall on the RHS is right against that end bearing. Long drill & hoover mortar out I hope, and crank into place using the space at the other end.
Even so this will end up slightly lower than the current frame height but it seems to be the only way to me so I'll have to cloak it on the inside if required. Not worried what the outside looks like, may well clad it anyway.
Please can somebody comment, am I on the right lines here or is there a better way of providing adequate support given the very tight working height and width? I did read up on helical bar retrofit lintels but they should be several courses up, not an option for me.
As I was typing this I've realised a concrete lintel may be an easier option here, given that I've got to remove most of the bricks anyway and I'm not worried what the outside finish is?
Concrete would save my glacial bricklaying speed from hampering me too...
Hope you're still with me and any advice much appreciated!
Cheers,
Andrew
Been in this early 60's chalet bungalow about a year and I'm looking to replace the doors and many windows. The original windows (Crittall, in wooden frames I believe) have previously been replaced with uPVC around 25 years ago, and with various cracks & deflection of frames I have doubts of there being any lintels in the external leaf.
One of the few not replaced already is the front door, which is a hefty wooden one with groovy glass blocks to one side, total span 1650mm, which I'm intending replacing myself with a wood core composite and glass panel. I can buzz out a lintel on the inside but no sign of anything on the outer leaf, proved today by taking one of the glass blocks out to check more thoroughly. Being a fully hipped roof there are only around 3 courses above the doorway, difficult to be sure as there's a porch ceiling but in any case quite low load hence not unreasonable for the original bricks to be laid on the wooden frame. I suspect the glass blocks were a slightly later addition as the BOE over the doorway does not extend the whole width, which doesn't quite explain why the inside lintel goes full width, but I'll have to have faith that it always did or they replaced it at the time, it all seems solid enough.
Been reading up on replacing lintels and have actually done a new opening myself many years ago, concrete lintel in a solid brick external wall, so props etc understood.
My thoughts are currently to prop with strongboys in the mortar line above the BOE and install a Birtley LA (angle 157mm x 93mm) lintel, have chosen this one as it has the least height I can find, and it should just fit in the space if I take the 2 courses above the glass and BOE above doorway out. At a standard length of 1950mm this gives the right end bearing but will be a real job to wriggle into place because the porch wall on the RHS is right against that end bearing. Long drill & hoover mortar out I hope, and crank into place using the space at the other end.
Even so this will end up slightly lower than the current frame height but it seems to be the only way to me so I'll have to cloak it on the inside if required. Not worried what the outside looks like, may well clad it anyway.
Please can somebody comment, am I on the right lines here or is there a better way of providing adequate support given the very tight working height and width? I did read up on helical bar retrofit lintels but they should be several courses up, not an option for me.
As I was typing this I've realised a concrete lintel may be an easier option here, given that I've got to remove most of the bricks anyway and I'm not worried what the outside finish is?
Concrete would save my glacial bricklaying speed from hampering me too...
Hope you're still with me and any advice much appreciated!
Cheers,
Andrew
