How to Make This Lintel Replacement Look Good

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Roger looks at another lintel problem for Paul Fenwick.

Here’s our message from Paul:

Hi Roger and Skill Builder team,

Love the YouTube channel and the Ask Skill Builder series, it’s very useful for a DIY’er like me.

We have an old steel bar lintel on the outer skin of a cavity wall. The steel is rusting and cracking the surrounding brickwork.

I would like to replace this with a modern L shape steel lintel made for a single skin, the inner skin has a concrete lintel that is sound.

I’m not sure on the best way to seat the new lintel so it doesn’t overlap the top of the window. See the picture with lines drawn on.

If the lintel sits where the green line is it will come below the top of the window frame (shown with blue line on the right) so will be visible when the top sash is opened.

If the lintel is placed where the yellow line is below the soldier course it will mean the bricks on either end will be have to be split along the face and a large bed of mortar needed under the lintel.

What option is best? Or is there another way?

Also, what is the best way to close the cavity above the window.

Other windows around the house have mortar packed in but over time this falls out.

The cavity is approximately 40-50mm and home to many spiders (as you can tell by all the cobwebs!).

Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

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