Click on any picture to enlarge. Click on the picture again to minimise.
The picture below gives you an idea of the area that had to be accessed to carry this work out.
The client had already received quotes from building companies, that were obviously going to need scaffold, and the scaffold was going to cost tens of thousands of pounds due to it having to be constructed on the mainstreet and then go up over two roofs to finally reach this hidden area.
It was easily done from ropes.
The lintel is snapped through, and the masonry above desperately needs pointed. There was a risk of the lintel collapsing, and if the lintel had gone so would much of the masonry immediately above it. Also, the householder had water pouring into the kitchen in heavy rain, as it was running through these open joints.
This is the same area. This picture just shows the higher part.
The area once it has been raked out. It’s deeply raked so that the new lime mortar will be packed deeply between the stones, which stabilises everything.
Another view of the raked out area.
Wetting down the joints before starting to point. If the surfaces are damp the short and long term adhesion is much better.
Newly pointed lime mortar.
Another view of the fresh pointing.
This is the new lintel support bracket. It was custom made by our blacksmith.
Three slots cut into the stone to accept new stainless steel flat bars that will “stitch” across the break in the lintel.
One of the “stitching” bars.
All three of the stitching bars immediately after insertion into the slots. Right now it’s a mess, but that’s normal. The slots are first stuffed with resin and as the bars go in the spare resin is forced out.
The lintel support bracket now fully fitted.
And now painted.
The stitching bars area cleaned up and lime pointed.
Looking up at the whole area. The work is now complete, and the lintel is now as solid as it was on the day it was first built.
Another view of the completed work.
