Window replacement programmes often highlight the absence of lintels in older properties.
Original timber windows will have been strong enough in most cases to support the walls sufficiently, however replacement with modern windows won’t always offer the same structural support. When uPVC replacement windows have been specified for properties without lintels, movement of the wall above will be progressive.
The problem is potentially even more serious if the new uPVC windows were installed in a bay window structure. Original timber windows will have featured load bearing posts on each corner, whereas a modern uPVC replacement must offer the same structural support. A uPVC bay window can be specified to feature internal steel columns as support, but this mis-specification of this feature is commonplace.
An expensive structural repair may follow if a lintel was not added to the wall during window replacement.
Installing a new masonry beam to act as a lintel into the wall during a window replacement programme is simple to do and will guarantee that the wall is properly supported. This gives homeowners and social housing schemes the opportunity to select modern UPVC windows for refurbishment projects, without risking expensive structural repairs further down the line.
The Helibeam System provides a simple, cost-effective lintel solution for window replacement projects.
