"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
On the downstairs windows, my house has a row of vertical bricks above the
windows, rather than an identifiable lintel! I am wondering how much the
bricks
are supported by the metal window frames, which will be quite strong as
there
are vertical bars.

Is this a common arrangement? Do I have to be particularly careful about
any
replacement windows that I might want to fit?

This applies to the original windows. Where the house has been extended
there
are visible concrete lintels.

The top part of the house is tile hung block work, where the presence or
absence
of lintel's is not immediately obvious.

If your house is 1950's, 60's or early 70's (i.e. before Catnic lintels were
invented) it's almost 100% certain the soldier courses (vertical bricks) are
supported using reinforced concrete "boot" lintels. These are a normal
rectangle shape concrete beam 6" or 9" high x 4½" wide, sitting flush with
the interior face of the wall under the inner skin, with a projecting L
section 3" high boot section on the outside face. Sometimes this goes right
through, under the outer skin, so you can see the face of the concrete on
the outside, but often it just closes the cavity above the window and has
galvanised wire ties cast in, which the bricklayer builds into the joints of
the soldier course.

These ties often rust and break (especially if these is no cavity tray
damp-course or weep holes over the boot section). The rust cracks the
joints of the soldier course, the wire breaks and the weight of the bricks
ends up sitting on the window frame.

Repairing cracked soldier courses is simple. There is no need to remove the
concrete lintel. If not badly misplaced, the existing brickwork can also
often be retained and held back using stainless steel retro wall ties
chemically anchored into the concrete at 300mm centres, and then just
repointed. If the brickwork is badly affected it will need rebuilding using
similar ties, and it may be necessary on wider openings to use one or two
Strongboy props to support the brickwork above. The soldiers can normally
rest on steel or timber window frames for temporary support, but PVC windows
will sag, so extra temporary support is needed. If the soldier course is
rebuilt it is wise to build in a new cavity tray dpc over the boot, and form
weep holes for any water in the cavity to drain away.

Peter