Nailsea · Somerset
Lintel replacement in Nailsea
Bay windows on older houses around Nailsea 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£770per opening inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BS48
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
What is the ground like in Somerset?
With roughly 21,000 people, Nailsea spans postcode districts BS48 in Somerset. If you are just outside Nailsea, we also cover Portishead (3 miles), Clevedon (4 miles) and Kingswood (11 miles).
Parts of Somerset have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
Symptoms that point to lintel replacement
- A diagonal crack climbing away from a window head
- Damp patches on the inside wall just above a window
- Rust stains or flaking steel showing above the frame
Guide prices for lintel replacement in Nailsea
Prices in Nailsea are worked out on South West rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Standard window or door opening | £770 – £2,600 | per opening |
| Wide or bay openingest. | £2,050 – £4,650 | per opening |
| Making good inside and outest. | £155 – £620 | per opening |
Methods for lintel replacement
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
Inner and outer lintel replacement
Solid walls and some cavity walls carry separate lintels on the inside and outside faces. Where both have failed, each is replaced in turn, keeping the wall supported throughout. Internal plaster and reveals are then made good and redecorated where included.
Best for: Older solid walls with rotten timber across the inner face
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.
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 Nailsea?
Guide prices for lintel replacement in Nailsea start from about £770 per opening, including VAT, on South West 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 Nailsea?
We do. Nailsea and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Portishead and Clevedon. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Nailsea cause cracking?
Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
How long does it take to replace a lintel?
Most single lintels are replaced in one to two days. The props stay in until the mortar has gained enough strength, and wide bays or openings with both inner and outer lintels can take longer. The window can usually be used again once the supports come out.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Nailsea
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Bowing wall repairs
- Floor joist repairs
Lintel replacement near Nailsea
Our quote tool shows guide prices for a Nailsea lintel replacement; add photos and we can confirm the likely opening size and type.