Vent: Took me 6 hours to fix a lintel I thought would take 2

I was replacing a steel lintel over a window on a garage in Oak Park. Old mortar was way harder than I expected, and the existing lintel had a weird dip I didn't catch until I pulled it. Ended up having to chip out extra brick and cut a custom piece on site, which ate up my whole afternoon. Has anyone else had a simple job turn into a full day project because of hidden issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilychen1mo ago

Yeah, that 'old mortar was way harder than I expected' line hits home. I've had masonry work where the stuff seemed like it was mixed with concrete and left to set for 50 years. Take this with a grain of salt, but sometimes the hidden issue is the lintel itself being the wrong grade for the load, not just the dip. Your mileage may vary, but I've seen people focus on the fit and forget the span rating until it's too late.

charlesowens1mo agoMost Upvoted

Precisely what @lilychen said about the lintel rating is something people skip too often.