Customer Stories

Failing Bressummer Lintel Due to Brown Rot

This Victorian/Edwardian terraced property with a render finish in South East London was suffering from advanced brown rot in the wooden bay window lintel and floor joists.

The Structural Problem

Brown Rot had taken hold in the horizontal load bearing timber beam in the front bay window of this home in the Hither Green, SE13 area of London. The rot had also spread to the adjacent cantilevered floor joists.

The beam and joists were no longer strong enough to support the weight of the building. The bay window area of the property was becoming unstable. The brickwork was cracking and bulging.

If structural repairs are sought early enough or if the structural defect is localised, as in this case, AWTs specialist repair techniques may allow for repairs without removing the render. The small disturbed areas of render can then be made good with a concrete repair mortar system.

The Structural Repair Solution

Action Wall Ties acted quickly to firstly stabilise the structure to prevent further movement.

Before installing temporary supports and starting to uncover the Bressummer beam AWT installed Bed Joint Reinforcement Beaming both externally and internally. Box beams were also installed.

Bed Joint Reinforcement Beaming requires precision drilling and injection of stainless steel bars and Cementitious grout into the brickwork. No fixings are visible once the work is complete. Re-pointing with colour matched sand and cement mortar gives a neat finish.

This vital work redistributed the upper storey loads to those parts of the supporting structure which were best able to carry them. It also assisted in restraining any further diagonal cracking and bulging of the brickwork.

When the temporary supports were in place the bay window beam and rotten floor joist were replaced. With the structural integrity restored, this property can now continue to be a home for many years to come.

AWT can provide cost-effective structural repairs for a wide range of structural faults including rotting wooden beams. AWT can advise on structural repairs to properties with render, pebble dash and spar dash finishes. We operate not only in SE London but across the whole of London and the South East of England.

To book a time for one of our surveyors to visit your property, call us today on 01227 721255, email us at enquiries@actionwallties.co.uk or use our contact form to get in touch.