St Ives · Cambridgeshire
Lintel replacement in St Ives
Bay windows on older houses around St Ives often hide a timber lintel behind the face brickwork. When that timber rots, the bay brickwork drops and cracks, and replacing it properly means supporting the wall above throughout the job.
Guide price from£790per opening inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE27
- Population
- about 17,000
- Area
- Cambridgeshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
Is Cambridgeshire prone to ground movement?
St Ives, Cambridgeshire: about 17,000 residents across postcode districts PE27. If you are just outside St Ives, we also cover Huntingdon (5 miles), St Neots (11 miles) and Cambridge (12 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Cambridgeshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Cambridgeshire: Victorian terraces in Cambridge and Peterborough, fen-edge cottages, and extensive post-war and new-build estates.
Methods for lintel replacement
Like-for-like replacement
The failed lintel comes out and one of suitable type and size is bedded on mortar with adequate bearing at each end. Bricks above are relaid to match the original bond and the joints are pointed to blend with the surrounding wall.
Best for: Standard windows and doors with a single failed lintel
Replacement with a cavity tray
A damp-proof membrane is laid over the new lintel with stop ends and weep holes, so water running down the cavity is directed out rather than into the house. Many older lintels were installed without one, which is often why they failed.
Best for: Cavity walls with damp above windows
From first photo to finished repair
Specify the replacement
We confirm the lintel type, length and bearing needed. For wide openings, bays or walls with unusual loads, an engineer may specify it, and where the repair needs an engineer’s design or sign-off we can arrange one.
Support the wall
Props or needles are set so the brickwork above carries no load on the old lintel. Windows are protected or temporarily removed where the work demands it, and the room inside is sheeted against dust.
Remove and replace
Brickwork is carefully taken out above the lintel, the old lintel removed and the new one bedded level on full bearings. A cavity tray goes in where relevant, then the brickwork above is relaid.
Symptoms that point to lintel replacement
- Damp patches on the inside wall just above a window
- Soft, crumbly timber visible behind the brick face over a bay
- Rust stains or flaking steel showing above the frame
Guide prices for lintel replacement in St Ives
Guide prices below are for homes in St Ives, on East of England rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Standard window or door opening | £790 – £2,600 | per opening |
| Wide or bay openingest. | £2,100 – £4,700 | per opening |
| Making good inside and outest. | £160 – £630 | per opening |
Rules for lintel replacement in England
In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of lintel replacement in St Ives?
Guide prices for lintel replacement in St Ives start from about £790 per opening, including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out lintel replacement in St Ives?
Yes, St Ives is covered, along with postcode districts PE27. We also cover nearby Huntingdon and St Neots.
Does the ground around St Ives cause cracking?
Gault Clay underlies much of the Cambridge area and Oxford Clay the west of the county around Peterborough and Huntingdon, while the northern fens are peat and silt that can shrink as they dry. Both clay and peat ground can move with the seasons. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
What is a cavity tray and do I need one?
A cavity tray is a damp-proof membrane above a lintel that catches water running down inside a cavity wall and sends it out through weep holes. If your wall is cavity construction and the original lintel had no tray, fitting one with the new lintel is usually sensible.
Do I need building regulations approval to replace a lintel?
In England and Wales, replacing a lintel is structural work and building control will usually need to approve it. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We deal with building control where the work needs it, and include the cost in the quote.
More repairs we carry out in St Ives
- Concrete repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Floor joist repairs
Lintel replacement near St Ives
For a St Ives lintel, the price is fixed in writing once the repair is specified, with building control included where the work needs it.