Replacing a concrete lintel with an RSJ.

[kcooper83]

Hi

We are currently in process of doing up our property and have come across another problem.
Parts of the plaster in our living room were loose so we removed it. We then found that the concrete lintel above the window is cracked and starting to sag.
The lintel is 9ft long. We are planning to replace it with a steel RSJ of the same size. We would hire the tools to do this with. We were planning to do this ourselves as it is only the inner leaf of bricks that is supported by it, this includes the upstairs level.

We feel quite confident about doing this but have been put off by friends as they have said the front of the house will fall down, is this the case or is it a DIY possible job?
Also is any planning permission needed for it? I was quoted by one builder that this would cost £800, and another who is too busy to do the work that he would charge £200-£300.

I would be greatful for any advice given.

Thanks

 

[Deluks]

What's supporting the outer leaf then?
The inner leaf is usually what the rest of the house is sitting on, floor above plus everything else.

Has been done before by members on here with no prior experience. You should contact a structural engineer for advice in any case.
Brave, but not impossible.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

As Deluks said, not impossible, but brave!

I take it you have a cavity wall? Is the external leaf on another concrete lintel or built off the window frame? If the latter, you might want to look at getting an 8mm plate welded to the bottom of your RSJ (or use a suitable Catnic lintel) to support the outer leaf. Otherwise you'll have major problems if you ever want to change to UPVC frames.

You'll need plenty of strongboys to support the wall (as you probably won't want to needle through your front facade). Also, if you have a timber floor internally, it would be wise to take up a few floorboards and bear the acrows onto a spreader on the solid ground underneath the floor, or the load might be too much for your joists.

You'll need a structural engineer to do some calcs for building regs but planning permission isn't an issue as nothing is affected externally.