Soldier course has slipped - how do I fix it?

[rusky]

So the soldier course above a window has come away & needs repairing.

The mortar at the sides has given up & what's left is just about holding the brickwork up.

At the moment it's propped up so stop it falling out completely.

My thinking is square it up then either remove the mortar at the sides & replace it as it was originally or drill maybe 2 holes at 45 degrees through the soldier course into the bricks either side & use rods & resin to hold it up then sort out the mortar.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Did that used to be a taller window or a door or something- the course above looks as if it was chucked into an opening rather than built as a run. Anything special bearing down on that bit of wall?
If you could live with it, simplest fix would be a timber frame (4 x 2 across the top, jack it up, 4 x 2s down the side, paint them white, repoint). Otherwise you're looking at getting a lintel in there (depending on what's above). Rods/resin aren't going to give that course any strength, if there's any load on it it'll just fail further in to the centre.

 

[rusky]

It's original, the bungalow was built in the 50s. There's nothing above it except the soffit board.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Bungalow- that makes a difference. Which way do the ceiling joists run- are any bearing on that bit of wall? And how much wall is above that window?

 

[rusky]

Not sure on the joists but they should rest on the inner skin. There's no wall above the window apart from what you see in the photos.

 

[^woody^]

You need a lintel

 

[noseall]

You need a lintel

Angle iron......

 

[^woody^]

Don't call us, we'll call you.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

What they both said. That course is in tension- not sure I'd be happy relying on friction from mortar to hold it up.
If there truly is nothing above the soldiers and the course above then drop them, tooth out either side by 150mm (for the lintel to bear on), put a lintel in (cheapo concrete will be fine, treated 4 x 3 would do), brick up above and that's it, it'll never trouble you again.

 

[^woody^]

Normally, there are tie wires cast into the internal concrete lintel, so these and a a bit of support off the window frame holds the soldiers up.

Once the frame is removed, the bricks can drop due to some flexibility in the ties, but dont fall out.

Well, thats what normally happens.

 

[footprints]

As above proper answer is a lintel, is that a new window maybe time for a a call to the installers they should have foreseen that OK they may well have quoted extra for a lintel but that would have saved all the trouble and mess of getting it sorted.
I had the same trouble with BAC years ago took a bit of pestering but they came and put in angle iron, not the ideal fix but it didn't cost me any extra. Sold the house 15 years later and nothing had moved!

 

[noseall]

they came and put in angle iron,

Perfectly ok.

 

[rusky]

Can you post a pic of the angle iron please?

The window has been in for about 10 years.

 

[noseall]

Blackangle1

• noseall
• 11 Oct 2017

Blackangle2

• noseall
• 11 Oct 2017

Blackangle3

• noseall
• 11 Oct 2017