On 16/07/2010 15:01, Graham Jones wrote:
Hello,

Continuing my inspection of the brickwork I have noticed that the bricks
above the kitchen window have dropped slightly and there are zig-zag
cracks in the mortar going up and in from the corners.

The lintel above the window is a row of bricks placed on end
(verticalically),

It is these vertical bricks that have dropped causing the brickwork
above to drop.

9 years ago we had all the windows replaced with uPVC frames. This may
be the cause as uPVC frames aren't structual. But this would mean the
old wooden frames were taking some of the weight. Could this be right?
Would it have been designed this way?

So how do I fix it and also could someone explain how bricks placed on
end work as a lintel? I don't really see it myself.

Thanks,

Graham

Some further info. The uPVC window hasn't bowed in any way. Also the
house is a cavity wall construction. All the windows in the house have
solider bricks (I've just found out there are called this!) in the
external walls above them as lintels.

But what about the internal walls, would these too have soldier bricks
or would these have proper lintels. There are no internal signs of
problems above the kitchen window.

Thanks,

Graham