A recent Twitter poll I ran a little while ago posed the question to readers if the regulations and advice on lintels was good enough. A simple yes or no poll, with the majority voting by way of no, it wasn’t good enough. I was in the “no” camp too. When it comes to lintels, the information out there in the public domain simply isn’t good enough. Google it, you’ll find some bad misinformation and advice on forums.
Whats FENSA say…
It’s not that easy to find, but here is FENSA’s guidance when it comes to lintels, from a PDF published in May 2013:
If there is any potential for the structure to move, then as a competent person you must ensure that the load above the opening is secured. Many properties were built with the original timber window supporting the brickwork above. So replacing it with modern PVC or Aluminium window frames compromises the carrying the load.
A soldier or head course of bricks above a window is not acting as a support unless it has been formed into an arch. A soldier course is usually decorative. These should be carefully examined and a plan to support it drawn up before any window below is replaced.
Good surveying is the key to getting the support issue correct. If you inspect thoroughly then any issues can be brought to the attention of the householder before work commences. If it is not identified beforehand and a support has to be installed during or post installation, the cost burden may fall on you the installer.
Bay windows should always be treated as load-bearing even if the load seems small. It should be supported by suitable bay poles that rest on either a fully reinforced cill (the reinforcement should be under the pole), steel spreader places having passed through the cill or onto a jacking pole system. The top of the pole should be tight to the structure above with steel spreading plates in-between. The poles should be carrying the whole load (not just point loads). It may be necessary to use steel or leave the head in place to carry any centre loads.
Finally a word to the wise – a disclaimer signed by the householder does not remove the onus on the competent person to do a professional job.
It doesn’t mention laws in the above text, but then again, it shouldn’t require a law for a good installer to recognise when a lintel is required or not.
For me and our family run business the rule is simple: if there isn’t a lintel above the existing window or door and there is brick work above, then a lintel must be installed prior to replacing the windows and doors. No ifs. No buts. When we do a job, it gets done right.
Our problem is that there are very few companies in our local area saying the same things. So when we’re the third of fourth company a home owner sees and but we’re the first ones to talk about putting lintels in, quite often the client is skeptical. Almost as if we’re trying to dupe them.
What others say
When you Google terms like “advice on lintels” or “windows that need lintels” you end up with quite a few forums as results. Some of the answers should leave you a tad worried. Check this answer out to a question posed about lintels:
I don’t know how it works structurally, but it is possible for window frames to be “supporting”.
This was why the rules were changed to insist that all window replacements were FENSA “approved”, because cowboy DG installers would take away a supporting wooden frame and replace it with a non supporting uPVC one.
Now, a “professional” FENSA installer has to check the support that the replacement window has to provide before quoting/making/installing the windows.
If they have not done this correctly, complain to FENSA (assuming that the installer is registered)
A total misunderstanding of the rules and regs. And this is the problem. The genuine guidance and rules on matters like this isn’t coherent across the board. No matter where you look, the advice seems to be different depending on who you ask. For example, this is the advice given by the East Riding council:
If the replacement windows are wider than those they replace, or involve the replacement of bay windows, then proper structural support is required above the window. In older buildings, the timber frame of the window was often sufficiently strong to carry the load of a wall or roof above it without a lintel. Obviously in these cases either a lintel needs to be installed when the window is replaced, or the new frame carefully reinforced to carry the load. Further advice on structural stability can be obtained from your local authority or from any member of a competent person scheme.
For me, reinforcing the window frame, as explained above, isn’t enough. It has to be a lintel, and it doesn’t tie in with the FENSA advice shown at the top of this post.
Do it right first time
It irritates me the number of our competitors that tell home owners that they don’t need a lintel when they clearly do. I went to see a job a little over a week ago where one of the windows was just above 2.4m wide. The brickwork was clearly sagging, the window frame at the top was bowed and there was obviously no lintel there. So when I started to explain that as soon as that window was to come out the bricks would drop and that we’d have to put a lintel in prior to removal, the home owners looked at me blank. I asked if I was the first to talk about lintels to them and they confirmed that I was.
What is worrying is that on a window that so obviously needed a lintel, the companies who went in before me either missed it or chose to ignore it. Not good whichever way you look at it.
There needs to be better and stricter guidance when it comes to lintels. There should be no grey areas. All companies should know their responsibilities when it comes to this area. The risks of a job going wrong because of a lack of lintels simply isn’t worth it in the long run.
As always, I welcome all comments on this matter via the section below.
Great article. Perfectly highlighting the huge difference in installation quality that’s evident in our industry.
Ah but DGB , you are missing a trick that the nationals don’t . YOU are not a surveyor I guess, becuase when you are selling windows , the building structure is not your concern , the signature for the windows is. Wait for the cooling off period then send a surveyor round , the lintel will cost extra , it has to be done , and the customer is already liable for the window cost , it just needs some added value lintel work , job done . The really stupid thing , is that it is messy ,… Read more »
Can I ask a follow up question to the above, very helpful article. If you were to replace uPVC with wooden framed windows, would the wood provide the structural support needed? Context. 1970s house with a 3150mm wide window in main bedroom. Window is bowed. Problem is there is only a 10cm gap above the window internally. Externally the gutter facias are at the same level as the top of the window. Apparently, replacing the lintel is going to be very difficult. We replaced our ground floor lintels with steel last year as the cotton wool concrete lintels had cracked
If you were to install timber windows like for like with the type it was built with you will likely be ok. When replacing timber with upvc the support is lost.
Just FYI probably worth checking with you local building control department/company because this is part of the structure of the building and falling under the Building Regulation and work carried out that hasn’t been inspected can cause issues when you come to sell…. and the obvious structural damage if the work isn’t carried out properly and with suitable materials.
I’ve bought a new build and there is a lintel which is not straight at the side of my dining room bay window , the builder says they can’t do anything about it , what are my rights on this please as it’s very noticeable.also the inside bottom bar of front door has a large chunk cut out of it and the builder again has said they won’t do anything about it . How long are foods and windows normally guaranteed by builders
Does angle iron serve as a lintil? The surveryer from the double glazing company has said that I will need angle iron above my double glazed windows.
2022 now and it’s still no clearer about lintels we have had two salesmen out, not one mentioned it, but another one our neighbour had who my hubby phoned said they do and did! Another who we are also getting a quote from haven’t and didn’t on our other neighbours ! ones
Can I ask advice on a potential house purchase please. There are no visible external lintels and there is visible cracking / brickwork dropping above at least two. See photos. The double glazing is old anyway but replacement will be costly and not affordable immediately. Are there urgent issues here? Or can any repair wait until replacement double glazing is fitted? Many thanks.
Lintels. Mums been told by window company that she needs to replace lintel. The windows no wider but replacing upvc. The soldiers are sagging. But if there’s a lintel above surely it doesn’t need replacing. Are they just conning adding work.
Hi Mark If the property is a brick and block construction, which it likely is, there will be a lintel on the inner skin of the house. However it is the brick skin which is pertinent to window replacements. If there is a soldier course above the window and it is sagging as you say, there is likely not a lintel there. Or if it is, it is badly compromised. You’d be able to tell if there was a lintel there, for a example a steel on, as you may be able to see the very edge of it sitting… Read more »
Hello DGB
Are you able to recommend someone who can help with the right solution for fixing our bay window that has an outward lean? The previous owner of our house changes their window from timber sash to aluminium but they did keep the box around the opening but I don’t think it was fitted properly as this has caused cracks around the GF and FF of the house. I’d be grateful if you can help!
thank you