Changing a lintel

[thomp1983]

Hi all,

I need to replace the lintel in the middle of the above picture. The builder I would normally use isn't available anytime soon and the job needs doing so I'm looking at a possible DIY effort.

I've got the structural calcs which specify a 152x89x16 rsj, it doesn't specify the length, the span of the room is 250cm and I'm assuming 15cm either end will be sufficient. He has specified the padstone requirements I'm happy with those, hoping the bearings for the old lintel will be the same spec

My questions are regards doing the actual job, my thoughts are 3 acrows with boards on each side of the current lintel supporting the ceilings (6 in total)
Remove old lintel
Support the wall above lintel with a board and acrows while doing the required works to the walls that will take the new rsj ends
then remove the centre acrows and boards, slot the rsj in and resupport with acrows while packing the padstone joints?

Make good with pink plaster board and plaster before decorating.

Does it sound like I've missed anything there? I was thinking of having timber added to the rsj webs to give something to secure the plasterboard to.

Thanks
Chris

 

[^woody^]

Are you sure the joists bear on the lintel and not into it? Likewise, will the joists support the wall above the lintel when the lintel is removed?

You need to support the wall above the lintel before removing the lintel!

100mm bearings for the beam.

How are you going to pack the wall joint above the beam?

How are you going to deal with any dropped bricks or blocks?

 

[thomp1983]

The joists run the same direction as the lintel.

The lintel itself has a small wall on top of it, maybe 6 or 7 blocks high at the highest point its tapered to the roof profile, ill check exactly tomorrow.

Id thought I could put a bed of mortar on top of the rsj and then prop it up tight to the wall, set the padstones so they are directly touching the rsj then pack below the padstone with steel shim.

As for supporting the wall whilst the lintels are being swapped this is the main issue, I did think maybe I could make some holes in the wall above the lintel and put lengths of timber through them so they bear across the joists and then the acrows supporting the joists either side of the lintel would support the wall above the lintel temporarily, then just fill the holes later