My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single row
of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious there is
no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the
original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to fall
and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of bricks - or
should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how. Please
bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Thanks

"John" wrote in message
...
My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single row
of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious there
is
no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the
original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to fall
and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the
solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of bricks -
or
should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how. Please
bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Why not just insert a reinforced concrete lintel ? It's only £6

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 23:45:46 +0100, "Mike" wrote:


"John" wrote in message
...
My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single row
of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious there
is
no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the
original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to fall
and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the
solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of bricks -
or
should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how. Please
bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Why not just insert a reinforced concrete lintel ? It's only £6

Or an L shaped metal lintel?

Mark

In article , "Mark"
says...
On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 23:45:46 +0100, "Mike" wrote:


"John" wrote in message
...
My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single row
of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious there
is
no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the
original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to fall
and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the
solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of bricks -
or
should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how. Please
bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Why not just insert a reinforced concrete lintel ? It's only £6

Or an L shaped metal lintel?

Or just lay the two courses of brick with some EML bedded in the
mortar between them - the bricks only have to support their own
weight.

"Rob Morley" wrote in message
t...
In article , "Mark"
says...
On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 23:45:46 +0100, "Mike" wrote:


"John" wrote in message
...
My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single
row
of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious
there
is
no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the
original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to
fall
and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the
solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of
bricks -
or
should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how.
Please
bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Why not just insert a reinforced concrete lintel ? It's only £6

Or an L shaped metal lintel?

Or just lay the two courses of brick with some EML bedded in the
mortar between them - the bricks only have to support their own
weight.

What is EML?

The other houses in the row all seem to have suffered at some stage as they
have evidence of re-pointing or similar. None have concrete lintels.

In article , "John"
says...
snip

What is EML?

Expanded metal lath - the sort of wire mesh that you use as a base
for rendering or plastering "difficult" surfaces.

The other houses in the row all seem to have suffered at some stage as they
have evidence of re-pointing or similar. None have concrete lintels.

Presumably because everyone realised that there's no point spoiling
the look of the window with structural concrete that isn't needed.

The real answer, of course, is to get rid of the placcy windows and
replace with real wooden ones. If you use oak frames they will last
forever, supporting the brickwork above.

John wrote:
My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks

A row, or an arch? My house was built in 190X and there are no lintels
in any of the interior brick walls (the exterior is stone). Arches were
commonly built with as little as an inch rise across the width of a
doorway and are pretty strong at that.

These top courses are cracked / bowed.

If the bricks are cracked then they will need to be replaced whatever
as a few more years of water damage will utterly destroy them. If
cracking is just the mortar giveing way then repointing should cover
it.

Not sure what you mean by 'bowed'. Have any bricks dropped/settled and,
if so, by how much.

What's above the window, you suggest there are only two courses of
brick. If there's a wall plate for a roof above (most likely in a 1920s
house) that then the loading on the arch will be very small. It's
possible all you have is water damage and the structural issues are a
red herring - check if that brickwork gets 'extra wet' next time it
rains - e.g. leaky gutter in that area.