Repairing a dodgy load bearing wall All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[Onemanfran]

Hi everyone, at my wits end now with trying to find builders to do this work for me. We are repairing a former HMO as our private residence. Built in 1908. We have had two structural engineers and one architect do full surveys and there is no concern about subsidence or any other movement. House is apparently solid as a rock. We have this bizarre crack in the load bearing wall where the brickwork is very strange, including vertical bricks. We suspect that there was an archway that was removed based on a similar house on the road that still has an arch in the same place. This needs to be repaired so we can decorate and since we can't get any builders we were looking for suggestions on how to do it ourselves. We are also replacing the door lintels with steels. We are pretty competent DIYers. Any suggestions on how to tackle this would be much appreciated because it's been holding up everything else for two years now. Thank you.

[stoneyboy]

Hi onemanfran,
It is clear that there is no lintel above the door frame and the soundness of the corner construction is very dubious. You will need to rectify this by hacking off plaster, fitting a PS concrete lintel above the door and rebuilding the corner keying in to both the return wall to the stairs and the sound wall over the doorway, then making good. You may find a crack above the left side of the doorway so this whole area may need rebuilding. If there is a point loading directly above the door opening you may have to use a stronger lintel.
Regards S