I'm posting this on behalf on an FB friend who I live nowhere near, so apologies for this being a bit second hand. She lives in a rented house and she is worried that the house might be structurally unsound. She has sent these pics of an exposed lintel; note the third one, that appears to show a bit of lintel that has separated and is poking through the remains of the rendering:
She has informed her landlord but he has told her there is only a problem with the rendering and no action needs to be taken. But she tells me the window frame is bowing out (you might be able to see this on the first picture). Also, several years ago some builders told her all the lintels in the house were failing and needed to be replaced. But all that was done at the time was repair of the rendering.
The landlord has seen these pictures by the way, but he insists the problem is only cosmetic and nothing needs be done.
She is worried, as the children's bedroom is directly above this window.
So three questions really: does this problem need sorting? Does it look like it can be sorted cheaply, e.g. by injecting silicone? And is there a possibility the wall could collapse suddenly, or will it just slowly subside at the worst?
She has informed her landlord but he has told her there is only a problem with the rendering and no action needs to be taken. But she tells me the window frame is bowing out (you might be able to see this on the first picture). Also, several years ago some builders told her all the lintels in the house were failing and needed to be replaced. But all that was done at the time was repair of the rendering.
The landlord has seen these pictures by the way, but he insists the problem is only cosmetic and nothing needs be done.
She is worried, as the children's bedroom is directly above this window.
So three questions really: does this problem need sorting? Does it look like it can be sorted cheaply, e.g. by injecting silicone? And is there a possibility the wall could collapse suddenly, or will it just slowly subside at the worst?