1950’s end terraced lintels

[SUFCDAN]

I have noticed the roofs slightly dipping inside near the windows and widows hard to open. I’ve looked at every house along the line and the are all the same, exactly.

The picture I’ve posted is of two rooms, a box and a double. Between the rooms is a solid wall, grey block that rests on the floor/joists.

it’s obvious that they all once had supporting wood windows ( as said all the houses I can see have the problem)


The span across from the brick is around 5.5m. Would a lintel sit on the brick one side and the middle supporting wall (2 lintels one for each window opening ?) rather than across 5.5.

I think they used to build direct on top of the wooden windows with bricks, and the roof would sit on them.

kind regards.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Looks more recent than 50s...
From the pic the dividing wall is only single skin- no blockwork between the windows so no bearing for 2 short lintels.
Have you looked in the loft to see how the roof is constructed- if it's prefab trusses rather than purlins then there's a fair bit of load on those windows, no wonder they're sticking

 

[SUFCDAN]

Looks more recent than 50s...
From the pic the dividing wall is only single skin- no blockwork between the windows so no bearing for 2 short lintels.
Have you looked in the loft to see how the roof is constructed- if it's prefab trusses rather than purlins then there's a fair bit of load on those windows, no wonder they're sticking

No it looks strong up there is late 50’s I think.

Yes it’s single skin. I’ve been told single skin can be load bearing?

many say single skin can and it’s almost my situation https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/wall-not-load-bearing-because-it-is-single-skin-brick.491232/

No it has purlins and like a dwarf wall (that’s boarded too) it has beards everywhere in the loft!!!! Dam things. So it’s a long lintel then! Amazing everyone has the same problem and some look worse, here are some pictures. These older places are definitely solid.

 

[stuart45]

It's cross wall construction, so there should be no load on the windows, beams going across to the brickwork take the roof.
Below is probably timber frame.

 

[SUFCDAN]

It's cross wall construction, so there should be no load on the windows, beams going across to the brickwork take the roof.
Below is probably timber frame.

these had all solid wood frames, now all upvc in the whole road, they are all going the same. I think the solid frames had a row of bricks on them. Windows are taking weight and bowing on all. There is nothing above the windows there is no screws, they are not fixed at the top, it’s air above them. I’m sure there used to be a row of bricks built directly on frame, structural window frame back in late 50’s. ?

 

[stuart45]

You need to find out what type of beans were used.e.g. Timber, steel, flitch. There must be a problem with them, the idea of cross wall construction is that wide windows can be used as the cross walls take the weight.

 

[SUFCDAN]

You need to find out what type of beans were used.e.g. Timber, steel, flitch. There must be a problem with them, the idea of cross wall construction is that wide windows can be used as the cross walls take the weight.

This is two separate windows. One is about 1500 and the other about 2350 …. There is a small single block dividing them. There is a dip in the inside ceiling …. But perfect where the cross wall is.

 

[stuart45]

The cross walls are the gable and party walls. The partition wall shouldn't take any weight of the beams. When I said wider windows I meant window space. It can be a number of smaller windows, but the beams go right across from party to gable, or party to party.
If yours is 50's it must be an early one. Most were 60's or early 70's.

 

[Nige F]

Late 50's but I agree 60's onward.

 

[catlad]

So if those windows are replacements then why are they not taller?
What's behind that cladding above the window?

 

[SUFCDAN]

The cross walls are the gable and party walls. The partition wall shouldn't take any weight of the beams. When I said wider windows I meant window space. It can be a number of smaller windows, but the beams go right across from party to gable, or party to party.
If yours is 50's it must be an early one. Most were 60's or early 70's.

Looks like I’ll have to take the cladding off and look. Im sure when I crawled in the loft right to the eves, I could not see any frame/beam going across. (Hence the old windows were structural) thank you for your time answering.

 

[stuart45]

Be interested to see what is over the top of the windows.

 

[SUFCDAN]

So if those windows are replacements then why are they not taller?
What's behind that cladding above the window?

They are all like that,

Be interested to see what is over the top of the windows.

ok will do, for now I have crawled into the eves again, it looks like there is a large pice of wood near the end of the rafter, (wall plate?) cut into the party and gable wall, so that will be taking all the weight, originally that would have been shared by structural wood windows. Could acros be used and the wood changed for heavy duty galvanised angle iron. I say this as I have family who are engineers. Mine is not as bad as a lot of them, zoom in on some, the upvc facia boards tell the story. Thanks again

 

[stuart45]

If your family are engineers talk to them. An angle iron wouldn't normally be used for that span taking the roof. As yours is an early crosswall it might be a timber beam which is more prone to deflection.

 

[SUFCDAN]

If your family are engineers talk to them. An angle iron wouldn't normally be used for that span taking the roof. As yours is an early crosswall it might be a timber beam which is more prone to deflection.

Ok they are Fabrication/engineering not house stuff. Yes it’s definitely a timber beam. I got the span wrong it’s around 3900 between pillar edges. Regards