Lintel Problems

[royalfoster]

Hi there, having a few issues with lintels, any help will be grateful.

i'm converting my lounge upvc windows into french doors, my house is a standard end terrace upstairs/downstairs affair. I have cavity walls with the internal leaf bearing the load of the floor rafts of upstairs and same again with the loft.

My nightmare is that i have no lintel on the external leaf of the wall, where a course of bricks have been laid horizontally across the entire window length (decorative) now that course of brick has a horizontal crack along the entire length of the window opening, this has now but pressure on the window frame which is now bowing .

Also I have discovered a hairline crack running (vertically) through the middle of my internal lintel. .

How do I go about squaring this problem away? Do I replace internal lintel first then the outside one? Can you get lintels that bridge both leafs of the walls, then its job done??

Any help would be much appreciated!
Cheers

 

[KenGMac]

Royal, Hi,

Noticed that this post had no replies?

Try Googling "HELIFIX" ?

This is a system of in effect "Reinforcing" the external leaf of brickwork to the extent that if installed correctly the helifix system can act as an external lintel, without actually installing a lintel.

Drawback is that because "deformation" has already occurred then even helifix will not get the external brick back to where it was prior to the work being undertaken.

Having said that this system, which I have instructed on dozens of occasions can be a really effective, long lasting remedy.

If you are a competent [ dare i say it DIYer ] then the system can actually be installed yourself, PROVIDED, you adhere exactly to the Instructions on the [ packet ] web and the information leaflets that are issued with the system.

As an aside this system is used extensively in "Subsidence related insurance claims situations" And also by Local Authorities facing similar situations to that which you find yourself in now.

At first glance this system appears shall we say somewhat "Heath Robinson" a simple twisted apparently thin wire plus an epoxy type mortar from a tube. Believe me this actually works, in situations such as cracked lintels, your situation of no external lintel Etc. Etc

have a look at the Web Site and see what you think?

Finally this system will not "break the Bank" and is fast easy to install and most of all it works,

Cheers.

Ken.