Renovation project - Replacing old wooden lintels

Renovation project - Replacing old wooden lintels

John has the lovely new oak beams, we have left them to dry a bit and then John gives them a quick once over with the plane. We could not have bought anything so beautiful (well we could, but we wouldn’t have been able to afford them!).

This is where the saying never judge a book by its cover is so true, when John brought the beams they looked like big lumps of knackered wood, but the planning and sanding has made them beautiful, and they are completely solid.

The first step is to remove the old timber lintel from above the main front door; the old piece goes right into the wall. So for safety and to ensure that there is no movement in the front of the house John puts up a couple of acro’s, these are metal posts that can be adjusted to the right size, and probably one of the most important tools you will need on a job like this. John saws the old lintel and removes it in pieces, the wood worm is extensive and the amount of dust is ridiculous, but it is out.

I find it quite scary that a piece of the house has been removed but it is totally safe as long as you have the right equipment to hold everything up, in addition to the acro’s we have strong boy plates) which are metal plates that take and spread the weight evenly (we have not found these in France yet, so it may be worth bringing these with you)

The new oak beam (lintel) goes in and it looks............ NO different! This is a good thing as it is a case of replacing old for new without changing the fabric of the building, but I wanted them to look spectacular!

John does the same over the window and next he will replace the final window lintel (the one that has already been replaced) but they will all look the same and as these are going to be visible (we will be pointing this wall, not plastering it) it will make a difference, it may take longer but the final result will be worth all the effort. If you are going to do a project like this, take time to think about every little aspect as even thought it may take you more time, it is much easier to do it now than to regret it later!