Retrospective lintel installation

[Heathcb]

We recently bought a house and have noticed the first course of bricks above the patio doors have come away from the course above. The mortar joint is cracked the whole width of the door. After removing a few bricks it appears there is no lintel on the outer brick wall. There is a lintel in the internal block supporting wall. The door is 2400mm wide.

I have ordered a L10 2700mm single leaf lintel.

Any ideas on how to install easily? I have to remove to courses of bricks to fit the new lintel in.

My initial thoughts are as the above courses have been holding themselves up for years, if I carefully remove two courses, install lintel and refit the same day they will stay in place?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KenGMac]

Heathcb,Hi.

A question?

You mention in your post that you have only recently purchased the Property.

Did the Surveyor you undertook the Mortgage survey note this defect?

if not then you MAY? have a claim against the firm that undertook the survey, in that this defect should have been flagged.

Ken

 

[tony1851]

You may need to hire one or two strongboys. You will need to take out some brickwork beyond each side of the top of the doors to allow for the bearing, in which case 2700 unsupported span may be too long for the brickwork to stay up.

 

[Heathcb]

Unfortunately only had a valuation survey.

We knew the house needed work and needed to replace the rotten patio doors. We just didn't notice the cracked mortar. It may have happened recently as the patio doors are pretty knackered now.

 

[Heathcb]

I have got some strongboys and borrowed some acrows.

Am I right in thinking I only need to support the outer skin as the internal supporting wall has its own lintel that is fine and I only need to put the new lintel in the outer skin.

Do I just grind out the mortar line and slot in the strong boys?

Just want to make sure it is done correctly and as safe as possible.

Thanks!

 

[tony1851]

The inner skin will be OK on its own.

Chisel out enough mortar to fit each s/b in and when they are all in, then grind out the relevant mortar line. A few bricks may work loose above that line, or drop out if the mortar is soft, but if the s/bs are not too far apart, the wall as a whole will be OK, and the bricks can be mortared back in once the lintel is positioned.

 

[Heathcb]

Thanks for all the advice.