Replacing window with French door and fitting lintel

aetbaar

Hi I have a 60cm wide window on the 1st floor of a two storey house (ground floor and 1st floor). I want to replace this with double french doors 180cm wide which will open out on to a balcony. Please can someone tell me how easy this is to do before i get quotes?

I assume the bricks on the side of the house up to the roof are supported by this wall. I am thinking that the builder will cut out a hole in the wall of required width and height and then insert a steel lintel to take the weight of the wall, then the french doors can be fitted.

Is it as easy as that and also will acro supports be needed when cutting out the wall as it is on the first floor i assume it does not have that much weight on it and can be managed by cutting out a layer of bricks first, inserting the lintel and then taking out remaining bricks

As the wall is red brick on the outside and breeze block on the inside then will I need a steel lintel on the outside and a concrete lintel on the inside?

any help advice or things to consider would be good before getting quotes from builders so I can estimate approximate cost and ensure they are not cutting any corners- thanks

zaax

Anything is possible but your will need an architect to sort out the paper work / plans with building control, and an structural engineer to work what steels will be needed.

MX5huggy

The door hole is easy, the balcony bit is much more involved, have you got planning permission? How are you going to attach it to the house ect, You need a structural engineer.

aetbaar

Yes it is something I am considering depending on work involved hence wanted to get an idea what is involved

If it sounds like not too much work then I will get an engineer and planning permission but wanted to know what was involved first

The doors will open on to the downstairs single story extension so will need to get that roof reinforced to walk on

For now just wanted to understand effort involved which I assume is some lintels - size will depend on architect calculations and also acro supports wen cutting the wall out

Will I need a lintel for the inside breeze block wall and a separate one for the outside wall? Also to get an idea of costs are these usually the steel ones or concrete ones ?

AlexMac

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, but...
Strictly speaking, you need to involve an architect or engineer and planners. In fact, planning approval could be more problematic than the structural stuff, especially if you'll overlook neighbours as your Council planning team may require local consultation whereupon neighbours may object. (as "Balconies, verandas and raised platforms above 300mm do not fall under Permitted Developemnt rights": http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/project-tips/planning-permission/permitted-development-rules

You'll also, strictly speaking, need Council building control approval, structural engineers, maybe FENSA approved fitters, uncle Tom Cobley and all (if you plan to ever sell the house and provide your buyer's solicitor with pukka certificates when they ask about any improvements or alterations)...

A pity as this is the kind of simple little job which any half decent builder could do blindfolded. (So much for "Englisher's home is his castle!")

As regards the hole in the wall, 1800mm is no big deal, and as you appear to have cavity walls I assume the builder will use a steel cavity lintel, wider than the aperture, with a U-shaped profile which fits up inside the cavity and supports both outer skin of bricks and inner blocks (Catnip's the lead brand and I have one over the garage door which is twice as wide as your planned door:- http://www.catnic.com/libraries/document/CATNIC_A4LintelBrochure_SEPT2013_WEB.pdf but generic ones are also available).

And (unless you want to see an ugly concrete lintel from outside?) the steel lintel is typically disguised by a straight 'soldier course' of vertical bricks on top; vaguely simulating the structural arch seen over windows in Victorian brick houses but without the arch or bowing. Look at your existing windows; try to emulate these as our builder did when creating new openings. Ours look as if they were always there; he even matched the red bricks over other windows, to contrast nicely with the yellow stocks of the walls.

And our guy also dressed the interior of the aperture with an appropriate product to maintain the integrity and thermal value of the cavity wall insulation, before popping in the window, rendering and mastic-ing outside, and plastering the reveal inside (the window/doors will inevitably be shallower than the thickness of the walls)

Dunno about the exterior balcony or platform. Our mates just installed a timber structure like decking, with a rail and chunky upright timbers, which seemed more acceptable to planners and avoided the need for deep footings (foundations) on any brick supports, but that's above my pay-grade. Sounds a fun project, but unless you like living dangerously or have very tolerant neighbours, probably best to go legal; any decent builder will have a tame engineer and give advice on palnning and building control

aetbaar

Thanks AlexMac

That so great advice - I agree it's a simple job that I would have hoped wouldn't need permission but will still apply for it. My property is detached and very secluded and no one can even see the door I am talking about putting in so it would cause no problem to the neighbours at all and it does not block any light

I will look into it further with an engineer and also check out the product you recommends thanks

Will the builder use an acro support when cutting out the wall and putting in the lintel ?Or just remove a thin layer of bricks first and slide in the lintel before removing rest of wall ?

System

I'm not too confident this build will end well with catnip and lentils!

Ruski

Accros will certainly be involved as "just removing a layer or bricks" isn't going to work - you need to remove the existing lintel/steesl first in order to get the new longer steels in place.

This isn't half a days work I can assure you!!

HTH

Russ

Doozergirl

I don't think you'd need an architect, really. It's the sort of plan you cluld submit yourself as the work is more an alteration than a new addition that needs lots of desing work. If your local authority has a planning surgery where you can run ideas past the planning officers, I would take photographs of the area and go and see them.

The structural engineer is important. He will dictate what kind of supports are used, but catnic could be likely upstairs. Building control may dictate how they want to see the joists of th extension strengthened, but your structural engineer may have a solution that is different/better to the building control officer, so you should ask their opinion.

One building control application can cover the opening, windows, joists and balcony. Saves a little money over doing it as two jobs.

aetbaar

Ok great thanks for the advice

I notice a neighbour has done something similar and I have checked online and it looks like permission was not sought as I was going to see what they applied for and their plans -their house does not overlook any neighbour either but can be seen through the hedges in my garden.

Don't they risk having this reported ( hard as no one can see it) and if they do then won't they be asked to tear it out ?

Doozergirl

The planning system isn't as dramatic as people seem to think.

If it has been built then after four years (in most circumstances) it becomes legal. If it is reported before that time and requires planning permission then the planning department will ask for an application for planning permission to be made. If it isn't, then they may enforce - which could mean changing what is there. The householder has the right to appeal to the secretary of state before that. However, with no neighbours, it's unlikely that it will contravene many planning laws - if it doesn't, then the likelihood is that they will just leave it.

Listed buildings and greenbelt will have stricter rules but the process is the same.