Damp from solid lintel bridging cavity wall Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[mhr1960]

I'm looking for advice re a solid concrete lintel which bridges my kitchen cavity wall (see pic). The lintel (3"x48") is in place to support a 4" overhang of external brickwork and is flush with the internal brickwork. I can't replace the lintel but can i do anything to stop water coming across the "bridge" (both above and below the lintel) and through the mortar to the inner wall? Thanks in hope!

[welsh brickie]

normally you would fit a cavity tray above the lintol to stop this happening.But this requires you to remove bricks.Instead I would paint 3 layers of buitumin over the area its less work,then replaster.

[mhr1960]

Thanks very much for that, I need to get a solution quickly so the bitumen idea would do that and I could look at getting a builder to retro fit a cavity tray at some later date. Do you think there would be a chance the bitumen could leach through the plaster or would it be pretty stable?

[welsh brickie]

I would recommend using aquapruf buitumin paint,3 coats minimum and on the last coat before it dries throw coarse sand on it,it will help the plaster to adhere better.Use limelight plaster as the base coat,over the buitumin,and multi finish plaster for the final coat.

[mhr1960]

Great, will do just that, thanks again!