How much wall do I have to leave between replacement wider window and french doors?

[deano]

Hi, here's the sit-rep:

Rear extension exterior wall, parallel with house back wall. Pitched roof to extension. Rear extension wall houses set of French doors with window to right-hand-side (above kitchen sink). All frames and openers (door and window) in timber.

Brief: To replace window with a wider unit (in timber). Result: Narrowing of the block/brickwork wall that currently exists between the window and the doors.

Question: how much of the wall do I need to leave remaining between the two units (door and window), thus allowing me to spec the widest window possible? Obviously there are lintels currently above the door and window... probably 4" precast on inner and outer leaves of the exterior wall. I haven't exposed anything yet, but I would also expect them to tie into the brickwork by 6" at either end of each unit.

Would I be correct in assuming that I could replace the window lintel, with a wider one, to touch the door lintel, thus leaving 12" of brickwork between the two, or could I get away with leaving less of an overlap for the window, below its lintel.

Appreciate any info. Cheers Dean.

[Rick Hughes]

on a typical RC lintol you need 150mm bearing at each end ... so you could make do with a centre pillar of 300mm if you wanted minimum.

You could do less but using a vertical I-Beam, and clad it ... using brick slips if face brick finished needed.

[NT]

If youre going to replace the existing lintels you might as well get one that spans the whole distance of door and window. Then you can go down to zero width.

NT

[deano]

Thanks for the info.

300mm is fine, its what I had in mind but wasn't sure.