The Problem
The new owners of a 1985 estate home near the Inverness border had purchased the property six months earlier and were working through a list of deferred maintenance items flagged in the pre-purchase inspection. The inspection report noted horizontal cracking in the brick above the rear bay window and recommended evaluation by a masonry contractor.
When we assessed the rear elevation, the cracking pattern was consistent with lintel corrosion and expansion. The three brick courses above the bay window opening showed a stepped horizontal crack running the full width of the lintel - approximately 7 feet. Two of the brick units directly above the lintel had been pushed outward slightly and were no longer flush with the surrounding wall face. Probing the mortar joint at the lintel bearing revealed soft, saturated mortar with visible orange-brown rust staining. The lintel had been corroding for several years.
Eight bricks in the two courses above the lintel were either cracked, displaced, or had face spalling from the lateral pressure of the expanding steel. The window head flashing above the bay was intact but had not been lapped properly into the mortar bed at the time of original construction, allowing water to track behind it and reach the lintel bearing zone.
Our Solution
We removed the eight compromised brick units by hand, working from the top down, and extracted the corroded lintel from its bearing pockets on both sides. The bearing pockets were cleaned of rust scale and loose mortar with a wire brush and cold chisel. The cavity was measured and a new 4-inch by 3-inch galvanized steel angle was cut to length with 8-inch bearing on each side.
The new lintel was coated with a zinc-rich primer before installation. It was set into the bearing pockets on a full mortar bed and shimmed level before the mortar was allowed to set. After a 24-hour cure, we relaid the eight brick courses above the lintel. Five of the original bricks were reused after cleaning. Three that had cracked through were replaced with salvage brick matched to the 1985 modular brick used throughout the home - a slightly warmer red tone than current production brick.
All joints on the two relaid courses and the surrounding mortar on the rear elevation were repointed with Type N mortar to 3/4 inch depth. The window head flashing was re-bedded with a proper mortar lock at the top edge before the final joint above was tooled.
The Result
The repaired bay window surround sits flush with the surrounding wall. The horizontal cracking above the opening is no longer visible in the finished work.
The corroded lintel has been eliminated as a water entry point, and the new head flashing installation means the replacement lintel will not face the same moisture exposure that caused the original failure.
Related: Brick Repair Services | Palatine Service Area
