The lintel will/should always be at the level of the top of the window. And should not be put where it is necessary to build under it. Mr. HandyAndy - Really
The lintel is there to take the load from above and it's doing that. Read the posts and look at the photo. I'm not saying this is good just probably the least worst.
What I don't understand is why it's a concrete lintel, it should be a catnic lintel fitted at the right level, with the head of the window to the underside of it and brick/block work on top on both walls one to wall plate height and the outer skin up and around the rafters, this would then at least give it some form of U value as far as insulation goes.
Above it, balanced on the lintel would be what, a row of bricks and a row of cut down blocks with the wall plate on that? How stable? It's bad design from the start.
Basically it is mainly caused by choice of window. I reused an old window (re-used all old windows). A catnic could not be used - I am told - because I wanted the window a certain height off the floor - this meant the window would reach fascia level and a catnic would not fit and obviously there is nowhere for bricks to go above it. If I had opted to have a catnic then the window would have had to have gone done a few bricks worth which would have made it too low. On reflection the window at a lower height may have been acceptable but when I was visualising it it did not seem ideal. The builder said the window could go down one breeze block which would have allowed 3 bricks on the lintel - 1 breeze block lower was quite a lot to go down IMO so I opted to keep the window as high as possible. The concrete litnel holds up what is abvoe it and the window has no lintel above it at all. As far as I cans ee there are 3 issues 1) whether the blockwork is good enough - I take the points on here about that 2) Whether the window is secure enough - builder and surveyor say it will be screwed in and also foamed/sealed and so will be fine And the inital query 3) Whether the concrete litnel is OK at that height. Supposing it went lower, I would still have to plasterboard the top and insulate above - but I think that would be preferable to having to box it in as it stands. Struturally speaking I am fairly sure the lintel is doing its job and it is structually sound - the question is perhaps whether it oculd be done nicer. There probably was an element of laziness in not making the concrete litnel exactly the right height and putting blocks above it.
1) You can't really tell from that photo 2)That's standard fitting 3) It's OK structurally just not best practice, if you told the builder what you wanted and he did it then it should be up to you to pay for any alterations.
Very stable and as it should be, this is my own extension. That is just 2 courses of bricks above the lintel.
Well I just said I wanted a wall and window and assumed he would build the wall as best as possible - as a non-buidler i don't know what standard or best practice is. There is slightly mroe to the building work - but this is the relevant bit will get some more pics tomorrow i have asked that the lintel is level with the window for the other window he is doing - after i saw this one
I will bow to your superior knowledge but they aren't blocks and judging from the photo there would only be a single row on the OP's
How I read this is after a discussion and you insisting on using this window and the cill being at a certain height this is what the builder compromised on.
If that to me, no your right they're not block, the rest of the walls are but I chose to use bricks above the lintel for stability, as the OPs builder could/should have.
Well he was aware what window I wnated and he should have worked out the best way to install it. If it is structurally soudns then it is struturally sound and I spose I will have to live with it unless the work is so poor I am him to remedy it -for exmaple the blocks not being staggered.
to conclude this, a surveyor has just said it is fine to use wood to cover the gap and then plaster over it.
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