English archer Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 It may be hard to see in the pictures, but the brickwork above out living room window is starting to bow.The brickwork is clearly bowing, and inside the plaster work is cracked, and allowing water in, and the rubbers on the window are starting to fall out.We have approached our landlord about this, but they say as there is no cracking to the brickwork, the wall, and window, are safe. And they are refusing to do any repair.Is is safe? Surely they can't leave it letting water in? And will this get worse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) It doesn't look like there is a lintel supporting the brickwork. Depends on how well you get on with the Landlord, but I would consider contacting the local authority planning / building department. Edited May 9, 2014 by Gordon R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medic1281 Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Exactly what Gordon said, it's your window frame that's holding those bricks up and not a lintel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jega Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Definitely a lintel problem ,either missing or structurally failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English archer Posted May 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Sounds like a call to the council is in order. We have pretty much given up on the landlord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 None of the windows in your pic seem to have lintels and the first two courses of bricks do not look to be tied into anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 What is unusual is the soldier bricks are still intact on the pointing. The window is not designed to bear any weight on its head and although it does look a bit like its resting on the window but it might have been repaired prior to the window going in. The bow in the window is often caused by the fitter not bothering or being unable to get a mechanical fix in the head, so don't put two and two together and make six straight off. He might not have got a fix in due to the steel that could be already fitted above. The lack of cracking in the pointing and you don't mention the sash failing to open leads me to think it might have been fixed previously without correcting the droop but it needs looking at, the insides and the leak are most likely from a poor cill on an upstairs window or water entering the cavity and coming out inside the house at the first point it is stopped (which could well be a big lump of steel over your window), I have seen this a lot, very common on terrace homes with the old type troughing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegleg31 Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Correct me if I'm wrong but they're headers, soldiers stand up right, no lintel is my guess.maybe a timber lintel on the inside above the headers. I'm also guessing they'll be no cavity, there's two ways that you can over come the problem. 1; grind the mortar out above the window, jack the headers up and resin a reenforcing bar across. Causing minimal internal damage. Or 2; remove some brickwork external and internally and use two single leaf lintels back to back and brick back up. That's the way I'd personally go. As for dangerous it depends which way your joists are running to how much brick work would drop, if it's not holding the joist I wouldn't even acro a window of that size up to carry out the above work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad93 Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Someone has removed the lintel to fit a universal sized double glazing unit. Stupidly dangerous. Probably would have been a narrow window there or not one at all previously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Don't look like you have a lintel there or if there is,chances are its wooden and has taken its time to bow.Its not uncommon for penny pinchers to use scrap timber-a friend once had to have remedial work done on his house after it was discovered the lintel above a window was a piece of 4x2 and it took over 20 years for it to show itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Correct me if I'm wrong but they're headers, soldiers stand up right, no lintel is my guess.maybe a timber lintel on the inside above the headers. I'm also guessing they'll be no cavity, there's two ways that you can over come the problem. 1; grind the mortar out above the window, jack the headers up and resin a reenforcing bar across. Causing minimal internal damage. Or 2; remove some brickwork external and internally and use two single leaf lintels back to back and brick back up. That's the way I'd personally go. As for dangerous it depends which way your joists are running to how much brick work would drop, if it's not holding the joist I wouldn't even acro a window of that size up to carry out the above work. sorry you might be right with the name I aint 100% sure, strictly needs must for me on brick laying afraid. if you look at the picture there is actually a mortar joint running vertically at the bearing point, what does that suggest to you? I know what it does to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Someone has removed the lintel to fit a universal sized double glazing unit. Stupidly dangerous. Probably would have been a narrow window there or not one at all previously that's a common window size in that place in some parts of the country in the location shown, do you think anyone might be so dumb to remove a supporting lintel to fit a mis sized window? Even such a penny pincher might work out to take something from the bottom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonicdmb Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Looking at the brickwork above each of the windows there are three different finishes at the head. To the left it looks like the bricks have been cut in half. And the ones on the right look as I think they would of done when built. What bothers me about the window in question is the three straight joints on the left It is possible that there is a steel across the head, as Kent said these mean you can't get fixings in. They can cause bridging of the cavity and lead to water getting in. Having said that I would want to take a look to see if there is any support in there. It may be worth getting a builder in to look at it If you can show there is no support then the landlord will have to put it right. Legally you can notify the landlord of repairs in writing and give notice that if they do not do them you will and your entitled to get the cost back from the landlord. Make sure you follow the law on this so they can't get out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azzurri Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) I'm with Pegleg31 on this, that's deffo a stretcher course. The inside edge of the stretcher will probably be sat on a 2" x 4" and the external is now basically sat in fresh air. When the house was built I'd put money on the original boxed sliding sash frame having a solid head which when it was "lugged in" properly will have been enough to take the outside of the stretcher course. I'd recommend a new lintol be fitted above the plastic frame or better still phone me up and I'll make you a new sliding sash frame to match what was there originally ;-) Azzurri. Edited May 9, 2014 by Azzurri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Bet the top hopper on that window doesn't open? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear-uk Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Why loose any sleep over it. Its not your house and as its rented simply move somewhere else unless its megga cheap because its a S****hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chady Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Unbelievable!!!! You could have cleaned the window before you took the photo........... Yep when the window fitter took the original wooden window out a load of bricks would have dropped! And instead of doing it proply and spending an extra £20 on a L shape lintel, they just build them on the window and used that!!!! £200 job max to put right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English archer Posted May 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Bet the top hopper on that window doesn't open? No it doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English archer Posted May 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Someone has removed the lintel to fit a universal sized double glazing unit. Stupidly dangerous. Probably would have been a narrow window there or not one at all previously Other houses in the row have wooden sash windows there. They look as wide, but not as tall. Why loose any sleep over it. Its not your house and as its rented simply move somewhere else unless its megga cheap because its a *****hole. No it's not our house, but it is our home. And we like it, except for this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Looks like it's been done a while... The paint on the brick reveals indicates that a timber window frame was there before. Granted the window opening has been mucked about at some time to enlarge it - header course above the window rather than the brick on edge shows that, but I suspect they've just put back similar to what was there before. My house is the same - no lintels (or cavities), but very strong timber window frames. Anyway, there's no cracking in the joints, so the brickwork looks pretty stable, if a bit botched. Those window frames look as cheap as chips and it might just be the head frame is bowing, coupled with a bit of sag from the brickwork. I'd say open the top vent and look for a head fixing, but there's always a chance you won't get it shut again. Also, the sealant around the window is shot - you can see it pulling away from the brickwork on the right side, so I guess that's also causing the water ingress at the head. If your landlord won't do anything, I'd strip out and replace the sealant to at least sort out the damp. Aside from that, in rental property, I'd leave it at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegleg31 Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 sorry you might be right with the name I aint 100% sure, strictly needs must for me on brick laying afraid. if you look at the picture there is actually a mortar joint running vertically at the bearing point, what does that suggest to you? I know what it does to me Having blown the picture up and seeing a line of paint, brick and then mastic around the window, I'll stand by no lintel. But without looking at it properly I'm guessing with 20+ yrs of building experience. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 Having blown the picture up and seeing a line of paint, brick and then mastic around the window, I'll stand by no lintel. But without looking at it properly I'm guessing with 20+ yrs of building experience. Russ Agreed. There's no way there's a lintel in there. I agree with Paul T. This opening was built around a heavy timber frame which was used to support the brickwork. This was once fairly common practice. A level course of bricks without springing over an opening, whether stretchers, headers, on-edge or soldiers cannot bear weight. The closest you can get to a "straight" window head course which creates the impression of a square opening is a cambered arch. But that certainly isn't a cambered arch. Some brain-dead replacement window outfit have removed the old wooden frames and shoved their plastic tatt in instead which have no load bearing capacity whatsoever. It is potentially dangerous and its certainly a flagrant breach of building regs. It needs propping and the appropriate lintel fitting. A simple enough job but somewhat invasive in an occupied house. I'd speak to the landlord first. Its unacceptable and should be put right. He may be unaware that he has had a bodged window replacement job done, but he is responsible for putting it right. If he won't play ball then report it to building control and they will condemn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Having blown the picture up and seeing a line of paint, brick and then mastic around the window, I'll stand by no lintel. But without looking at it properly I'm guessing with 20+ yrs of building experience. Russ Thing is I also owned a window company and worked in this industry for a long time, I have seen allsorts and discount little. Even good Guys make mistakes I know one team who killed the apprentice in a collapse of a load bearing bay and it was propped . It needs looking at on site no question and a little poking about to be sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Thing is I also owned a window company and worked in this industry for a long time, I have seen allsorts and discount little. Even good Guys make mistakes I know one team who killed the apprentice in a collapse of a load bearing bay and it was propped . It needs looking at on site no question and a little poking about to be sure Going off-topic slightly, but is the replacement window business not regulated? I have seen no end of appalling howlers from window fitters which contravene building regs but nothing is ever done about it. You can't form a dodgy window openings in a new-build. Building control would pick it up and condemn it. And on a commercial site any brickie who didn't know how to set a lintel or close a cavity would be down the road carrying his bag by 10 o' clock break. But upvc window fitters (well, some of them) get away with it all the time. Too many of them have no experience or qualifications in any construction industry trade, they only know how to use a battery drill and a mastic gun. Britain is full of old buildings which use window and door frames as structural components. Its amazing that unqualified operatives are allowed to attack them with saws without having a clue what they're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 I'm still puzzled as to why there are no cracks in the pointing. Looking at the headers, the low point at a guess is getting on for 3/4 inch, maybe more. At the top of the pic, 6 courses up, there looks to be a 1/2 sag. It looks like 5 courses have been replaced? I'm guessing the windows were done before you rented the property? My guess that is the window was replaced, without a lintel as the lads above have said. Consequently the wall dropped causing the bow in the top of the window frame, and cracking the brickwork. Bricks re-pointed or re laid with no further correction work. Hence no cracks. For the cost of a window and lintel, short sighted/potentially dangerous penny pinching Get the electrics and gas checked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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