Lintel replacement in Astley

Cracked or sagging window and door heads on Astley terraces and post-war houses. We prop the brickwork, renew the lintel and point it to match. Free quotes.

  • 18 years in the trade
  • Free quotes
  • Concrete lintels renewed
  • Cavity trays fitted

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Send us the details on WhatsApp, or by email if you prefer. We reply with a price or a time to visit.

Prefer to talk? Call 07487 625926

Cracks above openings in Astley homes

Not every crack in a brick wall comes from a lintel, but a crack that starts at the top corner of a window or door very often does. The beam over the opening carries a triangle of brickwork, and when it weakens the bricks begin to step down towards the middle.

We look at the opening first to work out whether the head itself has failed. Where it has, our lintel replacement service props the wall, takes the old one out and fits a new concrete or steel lintel. Our lintel guide sets out what happens at each stage.

If the joints across the rest of the wall are soft or missing, that is worth sorting while the props or scaffold are up. Our page on repointing in Astley explains how we approach that.

Lintel prices in Astley

Priced by lintel length. Move the slider to match your opening and send it to us.

1 metre 4 metres
Which side
Lintel replacement £1,850 1 to 1.5 metres, inside and out
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Each price covers the inside and outside lintel, propping, rebuilding the brickwork above and pointing to match. If only one side needs doing, it is half price. Openings under 1 metre or over 4 metres are priced from photos.

See every lintel price
Lintel length Inside and out One side only
1 to 1.5 metres £1,850 £925
1.5 to 2 metres £2,150 £1,075
2 to 2.5 metres £2,450 £1,225
2.5 to 3 metres £2,750 £1,375
3 to 3.5 metres £3,150 £1,575
3.5 to 4 metres £3,450 £1,725

Terraces and post-war estates in Wigan

The older terraces in this former mining village often have brick arches or simple stone heads over the windows. In any former mining area it pays not to assume, because cracks can come from settlement as well as from a failing head. Part of our job is telling you whether a crack looks fresh and linked to the lintel, or old and stable.

Houses on the post-war estates were commonly built with cast concrete lintels. Over time water gets into the concrete, the steel bars inside rust, and the underside breaks away to show the reinforcement. Once that happens the lintel has lost strength and replacement is usually the sensible fix.

When to call about a window head

  • Crack widening from a frame corner
  • Concrete lintel with rusty bars showing
  • Underside of the lintel breaking away
  • Door rubbing at the top
  • Bricks over a window dropping
  • Gap between frame head and brick

Four stages to a new lintel

  1. Look at the crack

    Photos of the crack and the whole elevation help us judge whether it is the lintel or something else.

  2. Price in writing

    We set out the lintel, the brickwork to take down and any pointing to match.

  3. Prop and replace

    Strong boys hold the load so the old concrete or steel can be cut out safely.

  4. Rebuild the head

    New bricks or saved originals are laid back over the lintel and pointed in.

A cracked opening, then repaired

Brickwork above a door rebuilt over a new lintel before
Before
Brickwork above a door rebuilt over a new lintel after
After

Included as standard

  • Check of whether the lintel is the cause
  • Wall supported throughout
  • Failed concrete or steel removed
  • New lintel bedded level
  • Tray and weep vents in cavity walls
  • Original bricks reused where sound
  • Pointing to match the house
  • Rubble cleared from the site

Astley lintel questions

How can I tell if a crack is from the lintel or from settlement?

A lintel crack usually starts at the corner of an opening, and the bricks over it may have dropped. Settlement cracks can run through other parts of the wall too. A photo of the whole wall helps us judge, and if a crack is wide or still growing we may suggest a structural engineer looks at it.

The concrete over my back door has bits falling off. Is that a problem?

Yes, it usually means the steel inside is rusting and pushing the concrete apart. The lintel is losing strength as that happens, so it is better replaced before the brickwork above moves.

Can I stay in the house while the lintel is changed?

Yes. The opening is propped from outside and the work is mostly external. You may need to clear the window sill and curtains inside, and expect some dust near the opening.

How much does it cost to replace a lintel in Astley?

The starting price is £1,850 for a lintel 1 to 1.5 metres long, with longer openings in bands up to £3,450 at 3.5 to 4 metres. An upstairs window needing scaffold, extra brickwork to rebuild or a cavity tray to fit will add to that, and we show any access in the written quote.

Do post-war houses have cavity walls?

Many do, which means the new lintel needs to suit a cavity, and a tray with weep vents may be needed to send water out. We check how the wall is built when we price the job.

Free lintel quotes in Astley

Photograph the crack, send it on WhatsApp or call, and we will come back with a view.