French doors & Lintels

evilgoose

I've been reading some other posts and feel a little concerned now.
I've had a window replaced by french doors (with small window on either side). They widened the opening and fitted 2 concrete lintels, (one for each side of cavity). I've seen padstones mentioned, I dont think I've got them?? The outer lintel fits straight onto the bricks (which are very tough bricks) the inner lintel sits on what I think is an ashblock. (There is a band of these around the rooms level with the top of the doors which the picture rail was nailed onto).
Should I be concerned?
The house is a 2 storey semi, in the room above there is a window sitting in the middle of the french door.

webwalker

Nope, not unless you didn't get building regs approval. Providing that the concrete lintels sit over the brickwork by the regulation measurement(differs according to length of lintel) there is no need for padstones with pre stressed concrete lintels. Different rules for iron or steel lintels.

27col

If the lintel on the inner wall is sitting on Thermalite type blocks you may experience some cracking on the inner skin. I made this mistake when I built my house and the inner skin suffered cracks which I subsequently had to remedy. My lintels are steel ones of the Catnic type. They should have rested on masonry pads of some sort.
What was your original lintel sitting on?
I do not think you need to worry about it collapsing, but it is possible that it could crack. It is not a particularly difficult job to insert pads at the ends of the lintel. If the room is being used then you might as well wait and see. As webwalker says it may not ever happen.

evilgoose

The window firm said I didnt need building regs for the job

The original was a single lintel for both the inner and outer walls, I dont know what it sat on for definate, but juding by the other windows in the house the band of ash-type blocks ended and there was a small, what you describe as a pillar of 3 1/2 bricks which the lintel sits on.

I suppose you could describe them as the '50's equivelant of thermalite blocks, though they are a little denser, but not as dense as a breeze block.

thanks both.

adaze

evilgoose wrote: »

The window firm said I didnt need building regs for the job

I think you will find you might have done, see here, are they registered with a "competent persons scheme"?

evilgoose

They are fensa registered. Maybe I'll have to check with the building regs people tommorrow.

27col

I think that what you describe for a masonry pad. ie. "a few half bricks" is pretty standard. Certainly it used to be.