Cracked window lintel

[Rusty82]

I've removed the plaster and render from around the first floor window and there's a crack running all the way down and then along the bottom of the lintel. (The plaster is cracked up to the window, so i presume the lintel is cracked in the same place).

It looks like there's been a little movement at the sides of the lintel but it doesn't look like much has moved above.

I've called a few builders but nobody can do anything for months so i'm wondering how dangerous it is and is there anything i can do to fix it?

Thanks!

 

[blup]

Get it checked out by a structural engineer or an appropriately qualified surveyor if you cant get a builder in.

The general condition of the lintel doesn't look great but its difficult to tell from the photos.

Blup

 

[WoOt]

Looking at the overall state of the house: exposed bricks and lintel, I'd say buy yourself an acrow prop. It won't look out of place and 30 GBP for some piece of mind sounds pretty cheap to me.

 

[^woody^]

If you knocked plaster off all lintels of that type and that age, you will probably find similar cracks in most of them. Is that a wall plate above it?

It has a reinforcing bar in it, and it held in by friction, and is not going anywhere.

 

[Rusty82]

Thanks for the replies! Yes that's the wall plate, so there's just the 3 layers of bricks above.
I've been told elsewhere it looks like it's been cast in situ and has probably been loaded too early as there hasn't really been any movement in the bricks above.

I feel a little better knowing it's not going to come crashing down.