Replacing window - no lintel on external face.

[mcjizja3]

Hi,

I'm planning on having a large window replaced with French doors.

The internal brickwork above the opening is currently supported by two timber lintels as you can see in the pictures below. It looks like the current window replaced a thinner, taller window as the original lintel for the previous opening is still there. Between the two lintels, the brickwork is loose in places and needs some renovation.

The external face has a soldier course resting directly on the uPVC frame and the bricks above have dropped in a triangular formation.

I've read around this forum and it has been recommended for others in similar situations that a steel lintel can be fitted to the exterior face only.

However given that my interior isn't in great shape either I was wondering whether it would be worth replacing the timber with a lintel for both faces (something along the lines of a CN51C?).

The opening is just shy of 2.4m.

Here are some photos, thanks for looking.

Lintel

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• mcjizja3
• 23 Apr 2012
• 1

Interior

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• mcjizja3
• 23 Apr 2012
• 1

Exterior

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• mcjizja3
• 23 Apr 2012
• 1

 

[stuart45]

It depends on your budget, but I would take down the face brickwork over the top and have it rebuilt by a time served bricklayer who knows have to match in the new work properly.

 

[^woody^]

There is already a problem with that brickwork by the looks of things, and so you may as well remove those timber beams and put a steel lintel in in one go, rather than mess about with just the external skin

 

[mcjizja3]

Thanks for comments and confirming my suspicions.

Also, I've realised that putting a new lintel in will give me a bit more flexibility on the size of the French doors that go in. The top of the window as-is is a bit below standard door height.