Concrete panel falling away above window

Gettingeven

Hi,

As you can see, the panel is moving away from the wall above the newly fitted window (fitted by Fensa registered company backin Feb. 2021). Only just noticed this morning. The previous frame was solid oak around crittal windows and much wider than the new aluminium frames fitted now. Should they have fitted lintels above the frames first? As you can see, this is a very dangerous hazard. Our neighbour next door had the same frames fitted before we did and her concrete (?) panels look a bit loose, too. 

tacpot12

That looks very dangerous and needs dealing with immediately. I wouldn't worry about whether the lintels are in the correct place or not installed until the panel has been made safe. 

I would try to get a long board over the panel and fix the board into at least a couple of bricks on either side. I don't think you should use the board to try to move the panel back to where it should, just use it to stop it falling out any further. Get the firm back to look at it once it has been made safe.  

stuart45

Can't see from the photo if that's a lintel or a lead tray. The infill is known as the Tympanum and may be bricks or blocks cut to the shape of the arch and rendered. As it's not tied to the arch, when the windows were replaced the work has probably broken any bond between it and the arch.

Gettingeven

stuart45 said:

Can't see from the photo if that's a lintel or a lead tray. The infill is known as the Tympanum and may be bricks or blocks cut to the shape of the arch and rendered. As it's not tied to the arch, when the windows were replaced the work has probably broken any bond between it and the arch.

Hi, thanks for your reply. Would it need a lintel? The window company sent a surveyor round and I would've thought he would've assessed the need for lintels as part of the job? 

Gettingeven

tacpot12 said:

That looks very dangerous and needs dealing with immediately. I wouldn't worry about whether the lintels are in the correct place or not installed until the panel has been made safe. 

I would try to get a long board over the panel and fix the board into at least a couple of bricks on either side. I don't think you should use the board to try to move the panel back to where it should, just use it to stop it falling out any further. Get the firm back to look at it once it has been made safe.  

Hi,

Thanks for your response. 

I would struggle to find someone to make it safe today and I've just come out of hospital after having had abdominal surgery, so I am not able to do anything, either, I'm afraid. All I can do is ask the window suppliers to come and rectify the problem as soon as possible (I've emailed them with the same photo) - otherwise, I will have to get a builder in tomorrow to assess it and make it safe while we try to agree that it was indeed the fault of the surveyor/fitters in the first place. I can't see how else the problem has arisen, can you? I suspect the same will eventually happen with the other window? My neighbour has just caled round to see the problem and had exactly the same windows fitted before me. So she's concerned now, too. 

stuart45

Gettingeven said:

stuart45 said:

Can't see from the photo if that's a lintel or a lead tray. The infill is known as the Tympanum and may be bricks or blocks cut to the shape of the arch and rendered. As it's not tied to the arch, when the windows were replaced the work has probably broken any bond between it and the arch.

Hi, thanks for your reply. Would it need a lintel? The window company sent a surveyor round and I would've thought he would've assessed the need for lintels as part of the job? 

I would say that it probably needed a lintel. Just guessing that there was originally a timber frame in there with a lead tray over the top. The brickwork and arch were done, and then 3 inch blocks used for the infill and rendered. If the blocks were tied to the inner skin with wall ties it shouldn't have moved, but if not the infill is just a bit of free standing masonry not tied to anything. Have a look at the lintel and try bending it. If it's soft it's just a lead tray. 
Getting the old windows out has probably loosened the infill.

eddddy

Gettingeven said:

The window company sent a surveyor round and I would've thought he would've assessed the need for lintels as part of the job? 

Just to clarify, 'surveyor' is just a job title - it doesn't necessarily imply that the person has any relevant qualifications, experience or knowledge.

If, for example, the window fitters were cowboys - they might send anyone round with a tape measure and clipboard, and call them a 'surveyor' to give you a false impression that they are a professional company.

(But equally, it might be a reputable company, and the person they sent might be highly experienced and qualified.)



Edit to add...

And similarly, if the window company are cowboys, when you complain they might send somebody round with an even fancier job title, like 'Senior Surveyor' or 'Senior Engineer' or 'Lintel Assessment Engineering Specialist' - but they might be equally clueless, and try to persuade you to agree to a botched solution.

So be a little cautious. 

BikingBud

FENSA cert?

https://forms.fensa.org.uk/fensa-certificate

Household insurance with legal protection?

ProDave

That is very seriously dangerous in that state.

If that concrete panels falls out it would kill anyone it falls on.  That area in front of the window should be fenced off and if it fall the window would likely go, so I would not be using that room.

Contact your house insurance and tell them it is an emergency. Let them deal with it and decide who is liable.

user1977

ProDave said:

Contact your house insurance and tell them it is an emergency. Let them deal with it and decide who is liable.

Though bear in mind that involving the insurer means (irrespective of whether they end up paying for it) they're likely to bump up your premium in future years for having made a claim.

GDB2222

Your insurance company deals with specific perils, like fire, or storm. They don’t cover the building falling down because of dodgy window fitters.