concrete lintels

[michael]

I need to replace a rotten wooden lintel over an exterior door which is probably 190 years old. The wooden lintel is built into the inner course of a 9” solid brick wall. The outer course comprises of a brick arch lintel.
The position of the door at one end of a gable wall, means that there is a maximum of ten courses of brick work above the lintel diminishing to about three courses as the wall follows the pitch of the roof.
Would there be any mileage in using a concrete lintel rather than timber. The lintel would be hidden above a lath plaster ceiling and it would eradicate any future rot problems.

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Concrete lintels are popular in the building trade because they are cheap and behave predictably. They are also unaffected by insect attack and rot (unless they get so wet that the re-bar start to corrode).

A piece of timber is a bit less predictable (subject to dimensional change with varying humidity etc. ) but scores well on 'eco' points. Especially if it's a reclaimed piece.

Either option would work fine, so at the end of the day it's down to personal preference.

 

[biffvernon]

You know that a wooden lintel lasts 190 years.
No concrete lintel has lasted that long.
Complete no-brainer.

 

[Flyfisher]

It would be interesting to know the type of wood that has rotted and, also, any clues as to why.

We have a fair bit of oak embedded in some mainly chalk rubble walls (as stabilisers I think) that are still rock hard after a couple of hundred years at least.

We also have a completely rotted oak (probably) lintel that has been affected by rain and moisture trapped behind cement render, probably over the last 30 years.

I agree with Biff's impeccable logic; replace with wood, but also investigate why it might have rotted in the first place.