Replacing rusted lintel and expanded joints.

[r896neo]

I have a lintel as per the picture. It has expanded with rust and forced up the Gable above it.

I am replacing it with a new galvanised angle type under the outer leaf only.

I should remove 7/8 courses and rebuild to realign joints but I don't have time and was wondering if it was a crazy idea to prop it, remove the lintel and clean out the expanded joints and then lower the props a turn to settle the joints near to where they should be. Then I can simple repoint and replace the bricks needed to replace the lintel.

As you can see the whole panel of brickwork above is fine with no cracked joints so hence my desire to take the easy route.

 

[Doggit]

I don't think taking out 7 or 8 courses would do anything, as the whole lot has lifted. You'd normally put in a couple of big boys to support the bricks above the lintel, but once you take out the lintel, the bricks could start dropping at the sides, so you want a bar support system that will tie into all the bricks on one course (about the third one up), and then as you take down the strong boys, it may well allow the whole lot to settle in one piece. You'd need a few bits of slate in the expanded joints so that they then don't come down too far though.

Looking at it a bit further, you could support it at the 4th course with 3 or 4 strong boys, and then maybe just have to redo the courses underneath. It looks as though the cracks are only go up to the second course. It'll be down to you to see of you can slowly let down the acrows a half turn at a time working from the right.

 

[r896neo]

I would be taking out 7/8 courses and rebuild NG to hide the big joint purely for visual reasons so it doesn't look suspicious. Replacing the lintel and repointing is enough to make it structurally sound but it will always be obvious to future buyers etc and put the fear in them about subsidence or something.

 

[Doggit]

It's okay, Neo, I could see you're reasoning for the 7/8 courses, but you could do it in less, and someone's going to query it as unless you've got a damned good bricky doing the job, it's going to show, so you might as well just be open about the fact that you've done repairs to a good standard.

Have a look at Brickbrace. You may be able to just support the scaffold bar, and then gently let the whole lot down without having to take any of the bricks out above the lintel, but it'll be tricky to make sure that the supports don't shift.

 

[r896neo]

Cheers, it's a cavity wall with ties obviously so I'm happy it's not going to peel away from the inner leaf but not sure anyone has tried it.

As usual the moral of the story is probably just do it right you lazy bugger.

 

[Footsoldier888]

I suppose the saying 'it came down like a ton of bricks' might have orginated from a job such as this. It sounds like a game of real life Jenga .

 

[tony1851]

Regardless of how you prop the brickwork, don't forget that the angle will need protecting by a dpc or similar coating. Galvanising on its own is no protection against rust as cement mortar turns slightly acidic over time and starts eating away at the zinc (I know this from personal experience at my own place).

 

[Doggit]

As usual the moral of the story is probably just do it right you lazy bugger

Well yes, but there's a right way to do things, until you learn a new right way. Go through the Brickbrace site, and if necessary, send them the details of what you want to do, and see what they say. It may well be that you continue with your original method, but it could be worth the cost of a phone call.

 

[lostinthelight]

I considered using this system but didn't have enough height between window head and ceiling.
litl
http://thorremedial.com/lintel-reinforcement/applications.html

 

[stuart45]

If I was going to take 8 courses out, I'd probably take the top out as well as it's only about another 100 bricks to lay and save any propping.