Should there be lintel?

[jungle_jim01]

More plaster/render chipping has revealed a window in my lean-to with no lintel. (1m span)
It's solid brick construction, 2 bricks thick. The outer leaf is supported by the window frame but the inner looks to be supported only by the mortar & render. As it's on the end wall of the lean-to there's very little above it. 2 courses of bricks at the low end and 5 at the high.
Question is, should i put concrete lintels in here before covering everything up again?
Thanks

 

[DJH]

I'd be inclined to put in a lintel Jungle. It can only do good and certainly no harm.

 

[jungle_jim01]

Thanks, i think i'll put one in, probably 1 on each side...so that it's not relying on the window frame...and so the to-do-list gets longer!

 

[jungle_jim01]

I've bought a couple of concrete lintels from Wickes but it's just dawned on me that they're not faced. That should be fine for the inside lintel as it's not exposed to the elements and going to be plastered. But the outside i'm presuming needs to be faced concrete?

 

[Lime]

Personally I wouldn't worry about the outer face unless you are concerned with what it looks like.
If so, a Catnic lintel would have been more appropriate.

 

[DJH]

You don't say if the outside of the wall is rendered or not or if you had wood lintels before. If the wall is rendered you have no problem with the lintel being exposed as it will blend in with whatever finish you have on your walls. If you want to show timber as a lintel then the best way is to fix some timber to the face of the lintel and finish to match the others. With wooden windows and the maintenance they require it's easy enough to give the false lintel another coat when you paint the windows.

Doug

 

[jungle_jim01]

Thanks Doug. At the moment there's no lintel, just the window frame for support. Outside is just painted brick (no render). I'm not fussed about making a feature out of it, as long as it's sound, but a smooth finish would look neater. I'm not sure if the rough finished concrete lintels are suitable for being exposed outside?

 

[MdB]

I'm not sure if the rough finished concrete lintels are suitable for being exposed outside?

Most concrete lintels have at least one side that it really quite smooth and may well look good enough for you if painted. There is not problem with them being outside.

 

[jungle_jim01]

Thanks MdB, just one more question....The window opening is quite close to the wall junction so i've only got room for 100mm overlap. Most manufacturers recommend 150mm but i reckon 100mm should be more than adequate in this situation...any thoughts?

 

[Lime]

Thanks MdB, just one more question....The window opening is quite close to the wall junction so i've only got room for 100mm overlap. Most manufacturers recommend 150mm but i reckon 100mm should be more than adequate in this situation...any thoughts?

I think that you are worrying too much.
If the lean-to is tied in to the house wall you could take out 50mm of brick from the wall but who is to know?
If the lean-to is not tied to the wall I don't see much point in doing it.
After all, what was there to hold the few courses of brick up before?
Nothing.

 

[MdB]

If your window is supporting a major roof truss like this one is:

then you need to do something about it.

If however, the window is just supporting a few bricks, is really isn't a lot to worry about unless is starts cracking. If you do fit a lintel, with the light load, I really wouldn't be worried about only having a 100mm overlap. Building control may say otherwise as the would be worried about it taking additional load if an extension or something was added.

 

[CliffordPope]

I just have shallow brick arches on the outside and a thick wooden lintel on the inside.
I've replicated the same construction with any I have put in, in extensions or new holes.