Lintel (or lack of) above a large picture window

[DIYNotIan]

Hi

We've got a large picture window in our single storey extension (which was built around 18 years ago). There was a decorative sacrificial timber above the window on the outside which I removed today. I wanted to put spacers in so that it wasn't butted up tightly to the wall, so that the water would drip before reaching the window and running down the glass.

Anyhow, I expect to see a stone or concrete lintel behind the wood but instead there's a row of bricks. Didn't seem right to me but then I don't know much about such things and so just wanted to check it out.

There seems to be a DPM between the two rows of bricks. And there's some big gaps as well where there's no mortar between bricks.

Do things look in order or might I have a problem with this?

Many thanks

 

[Charlie George]

Looks like a cavity lintel with a cavity tray above,seems a strange feature using timber,would of looked better in stone,but nothings going to fall down.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Nothing falling down = music to my ears That's the main and most important thing!

Looks like a cavity lintel with a cavity tray above

Not too sure what any of that means tbh. Any chance of a dumbed down explanation?


The wood doesn't look too bad and I'm happy enough with it. It's down now and a bit rotten so will need replacing, but will see if I can find an old pic to show you what it looks like with the wood in place.

I do agree that stone would have looked better. At the other end of the house is another single storey gable end but with three small windows in a triangle pattern (two low, one high). The two low ones have wooden lintels, while the high one has stone. And the stone looks by far the best. That part of the house is original though so 250-300 years old and a different kettle of fish of the modern extension in the photos above.

Thanks for your help

 

[DIYNotIan]

Here's a pic I found: