Cracked lentil around kitchen window
#1
11-28-03, 02:50 PM
Cracked lentil around kitchen window
Hi everyone,
I just posted this in the "brick" forum, then realized it would be more appropriate here!
I'm considering buying a 1905 rowhome in Philadelphia. There is a leaky roof 10 feet above the kitchen window, and part of the exterior rear wall between them. There are several spaces in the mortar between the bricks, and the lentil surrounding the kitchen window is cracked in one spot. My inspector thinks that water from the leaky roof collected between the bricks, then froze and expanded, thus damaging the wall and cracking the lentil.
If all I need to do it point up the wall, great. If the damage is more severe and I have to have some of the bricks and the lentil replaced, how expensive could that get? Has anyone had experience with damage like this before? I am particularly concerned because I want to replace the kitchen window with something more efficient and modern, and my inspector told me that the weight of the sagging bricks could interfere with the window frame, essectially forcing me to replace several of them (and possibly much of the wall).
I have a picture of it, but I guess I can't post them within the forum. Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!
I just posted this in the "brick" forum, then realized it would be more appropriate here!
I'm considering buying a 1905 rowhome in Philadelphia. There is a leaky roof 10 feet above the kitchen window, and part of the exterior rear wall between them. There are several spaces in the mortar between the bricks, and the lentil surrounding the kitchen window is cracked in one spot. My inspector thinks that water from the leaky roof collected between the bricks, then froze and expanded, thus damaging the wall and cracking the lentil.
If all I need to do it point up the wall, great. If the damage is more severe and I have to have some of the bricks and the lentil replaced, how expensive could that get? Has anyone had experience with damage like this before? I am particularly concerned because I want to replace the kitchen window with something more efficient and modern, and my inspector told me that the weight of the sagging bricks could interfere with the window frame, essectially forcing me to replace several of them (and possibly much of the wall).
I have a picture of it, but I guess I can't post them within the forum. Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions!
#2
11-28-03, 08:15 PM
Irishguy, let's start with the easy part -- the pictures. Post them on a personal website (Yahoo!, Angelfire, etc., etc.) and post the URL to that site.
The crack in the lentil (header) -- what is the header made of? Wood? Concrete? Bricks?
Your inspector is probably right about what caused all of this damage -- the roof leak that was simply ignored.
Whether repairing the bricks in the wall above this header is simply a matter or remortaring or if it comes down to replacing some of the bricks will depend on whether or not they are still attached to whatever the wall under them is.
If it's the pressure of sagging bricks that caused teh header to crack, then yes you would need to repair both the bricks and replace the header before replacing the window. (Actually, there is no reason it can't be done as one repair, but all 3 would have to be done.)
The crack in the lentil (header) -- what is the header made of? Wood? Concrete? Bricks?
Your inspector is probably right about what caused all of this damage -- the roof leak that was simply ignored.
Whether repairing the bricks in the wall above this header is simply a matter or remortaring or if it comes down to replacing some of the bricks will depend on whether or not they are still attached to whatever the wall under them is.
If it's the pressure of sagging bricks that caused teh header to crack, then yes you would need to repair both the bricks and replace the header before replacing the window. (Actually, there is no reason it can't be done as one repair, but all 3 would have to be done.)
#3
11-29-03, 09:53 AM
Pictures
Thanks a lot for your feedback! I think the lentil is concrete. Here are pictures of the lentil and the damaged brick wall above it. (The leaky roof is 7-10 feet above the window, out of view).
I have read that mortar used in repointing generally does not dry well in temperatures below 40F or above 95F, meaning that I might have trouble correcting this damage before a cold Philly winter sets in. Is that right?
Thanks again!
http://www.angelfire.com/bug/jeffmd/images.html
I have read that mortar used in repointing generally does not dry well in temperatures below 40F or above 95F, meaning that I might have trouble correcting this damage before a cold Philly winter sets in. Is that right?
Thanks again!
http://www.angelfire.com/bug/jeffmd/images.html
#4
11-30-03, 09:22 PM
The header needs to be repaired. Just repairing the mortar in the bricks isn't going to be enough.
BEST solution would be to hire a masonary contractor to do the repairs. It's structural -- the header has to be strong enough to support the wall above it, and the roof above that.
If you are confident enough in your masonary skills to tackle the job and DO IT RIGHT, that's fine. If it were dependent on MY masonary skills, it would be contracted out!
BEST solution would be to hire a masonary contractor to do the repairs. It's structural -- the header has to be strong enough to support the wall above it, and the roof above that.
If you are confident enough in your masonary skills to tackle the job and DO IT RIGHT, that's fine. If it were dependent on MY masonary skills, it would be contracted out!
