Kenc

Thank you for all the information. I am lucky that I have access to a number of SE’s I can call upon to get calcs done etc in my workplace. the house is 3 years old and whilst I can’t get the original drawings I have had the builder confirm footings run under the opening but they are 3ft deep ish so not too deep. However above the garage is a bedroom and en-suite so the drains run out the garage to the man hole in the drive. I assume above the footing. Hence the suggestion from the SEs at work that it’s easier to just go one course below GL and put a lintel in. The garage is double skinned and the floor is up to the inner skin then a concrete cap over type 1 compacted back fill. So my simple hope was to lift the cap, bed mortar and a lintel on the type 1 across the gap into the brickwork either side and come up 8 courses as the window will match the height of the rest of the ground floor which are quite large. The SEs had suggested a catnic to support both inner and outer skin: this is not sounding realistic now though…

Can I do that? Will the building inspector accept that?

So I’ve been recommended to not dig down to the footings and trench fill as not necessary for a 8 course load especially and there are drains running through the garage and it’s a tarmac drive with a French drain running across the garage entrance so didn’t want to disturb all that. So quickest and cheapest was a lintel across the door opening just below ground level and leave the drain etc in tact. Treated steel was recommended as lighter to man handle.

Hi, I am starting to plan my garage conversion and need to install a lintel just below ground level to span the door opening to carry 10 brick courses. Can I install a steel one that’s corrosion protection coated with a lapped over DPC? Or do I need concrete?