Need to know if this is a single lintel

[roganty]

Hello, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster, and I hope you can help!

I am currently remodelling my bathroom (3 years in the making!)

I've knocked down part of the wall separating the toilet and the bathroom, leaving just the part next to the window while I moved the sink out of the way.

I am now at the position to finish knocking down the wall, but I have a problem with the lintel above the window(s). Basically I don't know if it is a single lintel or not.

It looks to be a single lintel, but there is a bit of wood embedded within it roughly where the wall was.

Here are some nice photos!

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• roganty
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

Close up

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• roganty
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

Another close up

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• roganty
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

And outside

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• roganty
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

There is probably one or two courses of brick on top of the lintel before the wallplate

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• roganty
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

Can anyone help??

 

[ree]

Is your intention is to remove the remainder of the dividing wall but leave the main brick panel between the openers untouched?

Do you intend to leave the window frame as it is?

Why dont you you knock off more plaster from the lintel, and take a pic to show its length and bearing?

Whatever is passing as a lintel or lintels, its not being affected by your work so far?

The external pic shows the head, just above the frame, to have sagged a little, and the sofitt is lower over the w/frame. Perhaps it should be, or perhaps it was disturbed - i dont know?
Perhaps the original wood frame had a strong mullion, and no lintel?


Maybe,when the frame was installed the lintelling was inserted from outside, and made good on the inside with odd bits of filler material?

The wood (any wood) has to come out - its a fungal decay risk.

 

[roganty]

@ree
Thanks for the reply, and sorry for the delay in getting back to you as I have been back in work today (first day after a week off!!)

Is your intention is to remove the remainder of the dividing wall but leave the main brick panel between the openers untouched?

Do you intend to leave the window frame as it is?

I have since knocked down the remainder of the wall, apart from the small bit left between the windows.

My intention is to remove the last bit, and when money permits replace the widow(s) with one unit.

Why dont you you knock off more plaster from the lintel, and take a pic to show its length and bearing?

Whatever is passing as a lintel or lintels, its not being affected by your work so far?

I'm hoping not to have to remove more than I have too!

The external pic shows the head, just above the frame, to have sagged a little, and the sofitt is lower over the w/frame. Perhaps it should be, or perhaps it was disturbed - i dont know?
Perhaps the original wood frame had a strong mullion, and no lintel?


Maybe,when the frame was installed the lintelling was inserted from outside, and made good on the inside with odd bits of filler material

From what I can gather the soffits, and the fascia boards have been installed over the top of the old ones, so that may account for the soffits being lower than the window fames.

The house was built in the 1970's, and has had one owner (other than us!), so that lintel is original.
The windows were probably installed late 1990's? Maybe!

The wood (any wood) has to come out - its a fungal decay risk.

It's been in there for 40 years now, I'm sure it's fine!


Now the rest of the wall is down I can see clearer now, and the bit of wood is just that! And is about an inch thick.

It has been suggested that the lintel was cast on site when the houses were built, so it might be a part of the shuttering left behind!