Course of bricks above upstairs windows

[John]

My daughter's 1920's house has a row of soldier bricks - then a single row of stretchers above the upstairs UPVC window frames. It is obvious there is no lintel. These top courses are cracked / bowed. I suspect that the original Wooden frames were strong - but fitting UPVC caused them to fall and be badly refitted.

Not being very good at heights or with mortar, I am pondering the solution.

Will it be good enough to get a bricky to re-set the two rows of bricks - or should some sort of metalwork be introduced. If so - what and how. Please bear in mind there are only the 2 rows of bricks.

Thanks

[Mike]

Why not just insert a reinforced concrete lintel ? It's only £6

[Mark]

Or an L shaped metal lintel?

Mark

[Rob Morley]

Or just lay the two courses of brick with some EML bedded in the mortar between them - the bricks only have to support their own weight.

[John]

What is EML?

The other houses in the row all seem to have suffered at some stage as they have evidence of re-pointing or similar. None have concrete lintels.

[Rob Morley]

Expanded metal lath - the sort of wire mesh that you use as a base for rendering or plastering "difficult" surfaces.

Presumably because everyone realised that there's no point spoiling the look of the window with structural concrete that isn't needed.

[Biff]

The real answer, of course, is to get rid of the placcy windows and replace with real wooden ones. If you use oak frames they will last forever, supporting the brickwork above.

[urchaidh]

A row, or an arch? My house was built in 190X and there are no lintels in any of the interior brick walls (the exterior is stone). Arches were commonly built with as little as an inch rise across the width of a doorway and are pretty strong at that.

If the bricks are cracked then they will need to be replaced whatever as a few more years of water damage will utterly destroy them. If cracking is just the mortar giveing way then repointing should cover it.

Not sure what you mean by 'bowed'. Have any bricks dropped/settled and, if so, by how much.

What's above the window, you suggest there are only two courses of brick. If there's a wall plate for a roof above (most likely in a 1920s house) that then the loading on the arch will be very small. It's possible all you have is water damage and the structural issues are a red herring - check if that brickwork gets 'extra wet' next time it rains - e.g. leaky gutter in that area.