Hi,

My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement in the
near future.

By the looks of it, there is no lintel above the window. The window is
wood. The wall is single thickness brick.

In case of any doubt, I have put pictures from inside and outside the
garage on my website at the following urls:

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7
Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd

The question is obvious. Am I going to have problems having the window
replaced, or is it straightforward?

All advice gratefully received!

Pete

"Peter Boulton" wrote in message
...
Hi,

My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement in the
near future.

By the looks of it, there is no lintel above the window. The window is
wood. The wall is single thickness brick.

In case of any doubt, I have put pictures from inside and outside the
garage on my website at the following urls:

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7
Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd

The question is obvious. Am I going to have problems having the window
replaced, or is it straightforward?


Well putting a lintel in is quite straightforward if that is what you mean.

Subject: Window without lintel = trouble?
From: Peter Boulton
Date: 14/08/04 21:37 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

Hi,

My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement in the
near future.

By the looks of it, there is no lintel above the window. The window is
wood. The wall is single thickness brick.

In case of any doubt, I have put pictures from inside and outside the
garage on my website at the following urls:

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7
Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd

The question is obvious. Am I going to have problems having the window
replaced, or is it straightforward?

All advice gratefully received!

Pete

Well clearly the window frame is supporting the bricks so if you just remove it
without using acrow props in a couple of places then the wall will probably
fall down. Maybe that's not what you meant. If it's survived happily without a
lintel until now then a new window of similar strength will no doubt survive
just as well. There's certainly no visible cracking anywhere so it's all sturdy
enough apparently.

Personally I'd just remove a couple of bricks above the frame, prop the wall,
take out the old window and put a new one in then replace the two bricks. If
you wanted to add a lintel you could prop the wall one layer higher, remove a
course of bricks and do it while the old window is out but it looks like an
unnecessary expense.

I have a thought which others might be able to comment on. Given the limited
weight above the window there might be an easier way to support the wall than
removing bricks and using acrows. Drill through the mortar between the bricks
above the frame in say 4 places, every foot or so, and clamp the wall using two
lengths of 4x4, one inside and one outside and some nuts and 1/2" studding. I'm
betting that would hold everything quite firmly until the new frame was in.
--
Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines (www.pumaracing.co.uk)

"Peter Boulton" wrote in message
...
Hi,

My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement in the
near future.

By the looks of it, there is no lintel above the window. The window is
wood. The wall is single thickness brick.

In case of any doubt, I have put pictures from inside and outside the
garage on my website at the following urls:

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7
Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd

The question is obvious. Am I going to have problems having the window
replaced, or is it straightforward?

All advice gratefully received!

Pete

Your pictures do not indicate just how manyrows of bricks are above the
window frame.
I take it that this is just a garage and there is nothing above. If this is
the case, then personally, I would put a lintel in as I can see four rows of
bricks in your picture and that is quite a bit of weight bearing down on a
wooden frame.
Between your window and the brickwork above, there is quite a space filled
with mortar, the mottar could, and I have seen this done a few times, be
covering a think metal bar or bars, which have been let into the bricks to
act as a lintel. Very careful inspection should give you some indication if
this is the case.
--
troubleinstore
http://www.tuppencechange.co.uk
Personal mail can be sent via website.
Email address in posting is ficticious and is intended as spam trap




---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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In article ,
Dave Baker wrote:
Well clearly the window frame is supporting the bricks so if you just
remove it without using acrow props in a couple of places then the wall
will probably fall down.

When I moved into this house, I had a window in the kitchen changed for
one about 4 times the width. The original had a brick 'arch' as a lintel.

They simply smashed the whole lot out, not a prop in sight, before
installing the new lintel. So about 2/3rds of a 9" brick wall on the
ground floor of two totally unsupported until the lintel went in.

I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

--
*Does fuzzy logic tickle? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Subject: Window without lintel = trouble?
From: "Dave Plowman (News)"
Date: 15/08/04 09:25 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

In article ,
Dave Baker wrote:
Well clearly the window frame is supporting the bricks so if you just
remove it without using acrow props in a couple of places then the wall
will probably fall down.

When I moved into this house, I had a window in the kitchen changed for
one about 4 times the width. The original had a brick 'arch' as a lintel.

They simply smashed the whole lot out, not a prop in sight, before
installing the new lintel. So about 2/3rds of a 9" brick wall on the
ground floor of two totally unsupported until the lintel went in.

I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

That's a double wall though and they self support quite well with the bricks
interlocking in both directions. Also was it a rendered wall? The render can
help hold it together to some extent. A single wall like the OP's has very
little support for a large hole in it.

I'm facing the same dilemma as I look at replacing the old Crittal windows in
my house. The concrete frames act as their own lintels so I'll need new lintels
to put modern frames in. A builder friend reckons the walls won't collapse even
if the old windows are just smashed out but I'm leaning towards putting lintels
in before removing the concrete frames.


--
Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines (www.pumaracing.co.uk)

"Peter Boulton" wrote in message
...
Hi,

My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement in the
near future.

By the looks of it, there is no lintel above the window. The window is
wood. The wall is single thickness brick.

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7
Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd


I note the window frame is not too substantial. Wooden lintels have
been used aplenty on old builds, but a thin strip like that I cant see
holding much. So I wouldnt rely on the window frame to support in this
case - althought it might be doing so.

Regards, NT

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ...

When I moved into this house, I had a window in the kitchen changed for
one about 4 times the width. The original had a brick 'arch' as a lintel.

They simply smashed the whole lot out, not a prop in sight, before
installing the new lintel. So about 2/3rds of a 9" brick wall on the
ground floor of two totally unsupported until the lintel went in.

I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

and will continue to until one collapses on them, quite possibly
kiling everyone on site.

Regards, NT

"N. Thornton" wrote in message
om

I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

Whenever the Germans invade Europe, they always invade Russia at the
same time too. Lots of people think this is a good thing. (No-one tell
them different though eh?)

I once had the priviledge of working for a cowboy outfit that pulled out
a bay window without supporting the wall or the ceiling. The mess was
quite interesting apparently. The plasterboard or whatever, hinged into
the living room and sprayed everywhere.

Suprisingly the tenants allowed them to continue despite the replacement
windows being the wrong size.



--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Peter Boulton wrote:
My garage has a rather rotten window, which will need replacement
in the near future.

Inside: http://tinyurl.com/5syv7 Outside: http://tinyurl.com/3sdfd

The question is obvious. Am I going to have problems having the
window replaced, or is it straightforward?

The "outside" picture appears to show new cement pointing in
places, is this the case? If support is needed, I should be
inclined to gently cut out the middle brick above, probably
by stitch-drilling, and prop with a couple of pieces of
timber. If you want to just replace the window, I wouldn't
bother with a lintel. You could consider replacing with a
window and door, if this would be useful.


J.B.

Dave Baker wrote:
I'm facing the same dilemma as I look at replacing the old
Crittal windows in my house. The concrete frames act as
their own lintels so I'll need new lintels to put modern
frames in.

Erm, aren't Critall windows galvanised steel that screw on
to their surrounds?


J.B.

In article ,
N. Thornton wrote:
I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

and will continue to until one collapses on them, quite possibly
kiling everyone on site.

My initial thoughts too. However, they were an experienced small firm, and
I'd happily take their word that they'd done this before many times. The
final job was perfectly satisfactory, as was the price.

--
*Forget about World Peace...Visualize using your turn signal.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
N. Thornton wrote:
I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

and will continue to until one collapses on them, quite possibly
kiling everyone on site.

My initial thoughts too. However, they were an experienced small firm, and
I'd happily take their word that they'd done this before many times. The
final job was perfectly satisfactory, as was the price.


But you did stand WELL back, didn't you :-)

In article ,
G&M wrote:
My initial thoughts too. However, they were an experienced small firm,
and I'd happily take their word that they'd done this before many
times. The final job was perfectly satisfactory, as was the price.


But you did stand WELL back, didn't you :-)

Yup. They had the lintel in by mid morning having started at about 8, and
all the brickwork done by lunch. The window was in and the house secure by
the time they left in the evening.

--
*A day without sunshine is like... night.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ...
In article ,
N. Thornton wrote:
I was gutted, but they said they always do it this way...

and will continue to until one collapses on them, quite possibly
kiling everyone on site.

My initial thoughts too. However, they were an experienced small firm, and
I'd happily take their word that they'd done this before many times. The
final job was perfectly satisfactory, as was the price.

there are lots of practices one can do for years and be ok with, like
live wiring, leaving out earth lines and so on. But they are still a
risk factor, there is going to be one at some point with unexpected
complications, and... gotcha. Skilled experienced people are not
immune, but sometimes they can think they are.

Regards, NT