Tuckpointer tells me to replace lentils (see inside)


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Old 09-04-13, 12:18 PM
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Tuckpointer tells me to replace lentils (see inside)

I took pictures of all my windows. He told me I needed to replace roughly ten. Some of them were caulked by the Banks' remodeler.

What do you guys think? I need to make a decision today (its between two contractors, on said i only need to fix one... the one in the basement that is sagging... the other says many.

Yes, and i know i have to do a lot of tuckpointing :'(

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Old 09-04-13, 12:22 PM
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Old 09-04-13, 02:07 PM
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Lintels are very difficult to distort unless you take a hammer to the leading edge. I hate it when people try to drum up business for themselves when it isn't necessary What are the indications of your "sagging" lintels? Or they just too lazy to tuck point properly?

Oh, lentils are peas, and lintels are support members. I know
 
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Old 09-04-13, 02:21 PM
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Some are undead sagging and some have mortar cracks. The remodeller also caulked up several.
 
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Old 09-04-13, 02:59 PM
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There's a lot of weight on the lintels, granted, but the cracks can be repointed and /or caulked with an elastomeric caulk. It will expand and contract with the weather, eliminating the cracks. Rocks contract and expand at a different rate than steel so it is inevitable.
 
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Old 09-04-13, 03:20 PM
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I heard you cannot caulk lintels because it traps liquid?
 
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Old 09-04-13, 03:35 PM
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Thanks for responding btw...

I just dont want to overpay... but if it has to be done it has to be done.

Is there another forum section i should post this on?
 
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Old 09-04-13, 03:36 PM
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Correct. You don't caulk lintels!!!!!!!!
 
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Old 09-04-13, 03:48 PM
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any ideas given the pictures Xsleep?

The other contractor just wants to replace the one that is clearly sagging... in the basement window. The others show cracking and rusting i believe.

The contractor that does not want to replace all.. but said he would if i wanted to suggested to open them up, clean them, add rustolium and weeping rope.
 
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Old 09-04-13, 05:48 PM
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Ideas? If there is any problem I would say that it is originating with where the water is getting in behind the stone, and is being exacerbated by caulking the lintels shut so that they can't weep. If the lintels are actually bent, it has got to be from trapped water turning into ice in the wnter time. Perhaps the lintels were too thin, and if they ARE bent, then yes, replacement would probably be the only option. If you go that route, make sure the new lintels are flashed and incorporated into the WRB. You would also obviously need to address where in the heck all that water is coming from. Roof edge? Fascia?
 
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Old 09-05-13, 03:18 AM
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I didn't mean to indicate in my last post to caulk the lintels, but the rocks/cracks themselves. Good point on not caulking the lintels. Yes, they must weep!.
 
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Old 09-05-13, 04:31 PM
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Lintels definitely appear to be under-sized (too thin). I suspect what you don't replace soon (with heavier steel angle, primed and top-coated) will come back to haunt you in the future.

Especially if you can't stop the water from getting back there in the first place.
 
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Old 09-05-13, 07:04 PM
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rats, we went with the guy that said we only needed to replace one and clean the others.

I felt the other guy might have been giving us to great of a deal at 400 dollars per lentil (some lentils are 10 feet long.)
 
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Old 09-05-13, 07:46 PM
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It will be interesting to see how much water damage is present when your chosen contractor removes/replaces that one lintel. If there's considerable damage (header rot, significant steel angle section loss, etc.), maybe he'll cut you a deal on replacing more of the distressed units. Especially when you show him the other quote for $400 per unit.

Better yet, just watch him closely during the entire operation on the window he reworks. Then you can do the others yourself, at just the cost of materials, some equipment and scaffold rental, and your time.
 
 

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