Timber ledger on the lintel area above patio doors

[OVIP]

Hi All,

Will it be ok to attach a timber ledger (6x2) on the lintel area above the patio doors? This would be for a lean to pergola (4.5m x 3m)

The ledger was supposed to be installed where the yellow line is in the attached pic, and it should  need about 3-4 masonry screws for fixing on the lintel area.

I have read some post saying it could damage the house structure and posting this as I am concerned…

Are lintels steel inserts like the one in the 2nd picture attached? The house was built in 2020

Eventually the ledger could be installed higher but I was hopping could attach it here as it would be the same height as the side house existent pergola.

Thank you!

[BotusBuild]

Likely it is such a metal lintel behind those vertical laid bricks. Without removing one you'll never really know for sure, but safe to assume it is there.

Will the weight of the pergola be taken by vertical posts and at four(?) corners of the pergola? If so, then the attachment to the wall is mainly to stop it moving vertically away from the wall. Still need to be strong fixings and as long as you drill carefully and jo bricks are broken in the process you should be OK. Fixings can go in the mortar. May be use threaded rod and resin to fix the ledger (or pergola directly) to the wall.

Edited 17 hours ago by BotusBuild

[OVIP]

Yes the pergola will rest on 4 vertical posts.

I am not sure about putting the fixings in the mortar though, as I recently repositioned a down pipe and the mortar between bricks or whatever compound they have used, did not look very strong.

Edited 11 hours ago by OVIP

[Iceverge]

I would add a couple of extra vertical posts at the house side against the wall. 

 

If the pergola is ever roofed in future it could hold quite a lot of snow weight and screws into he masonry could give way under the load.