Repairing oak lintel - advice sought

[Samw]

Hi there,

I’m new to this forum, having stumbled across it as I navigate the minefield associated with owning a listed property . The house we recently moved into has been well-cared for, however there’s lots to rectify as we continue to peel back the wall paper etc. learning how to care for the house is becoming the hobby I never knew I needed!

I was hoping to garner some opinions on best way forwards for this external oak lintel. As you can see, it’s had some rot cut out and filled with what looks like epoxy/resin. Rest of the beam looks/feels sounds. My thinking is to sand back the remaining paint and start over with suitable primer and weatherproof top coat. Welcome suggestions though re. best practice and also paint types/brands etc.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Cubist]

Yes! Get rid of the paint back to the wood. No! Definitely not. Under no circumstances should you re-paint them.

The paint traps water in the wood and induces/accelerates rot. At best external timbers should only occasionally treated with a coat of oil such as linseed. Remove all the paint carefully and be ready for some nasty surprises you may find the rot is more extensive than you believe. Get rid to of any plastic/resinous type fillers that may have been used in old repairs as these too will have trapped water - you may need to consider whether this old repairs, if removed, will adversely affect the structural integrity of the lintel and this demand its replacement.

 

[Flyfisher]

Agreed.

The rear of our oak-frame house has bare oak that has been exposed to the weather for 400+ years and remains rock-solid. The front of the house is rendered, with cement render back in the 1930s but now stripped bare and re-rendered with lime render. All the frame repairs I've needed to do were under the cement-rendered areas. None of the exposed oak has needed repair, even after 400+ years of weathering. Yes, the timbers are a bit 'gnarly' but they remain structurally sound.

Oak is a wonderful material and doesn't need 'protecting' from the weather. Keep it bare so it can dry naturally after any rain and it will last for centuries with zero maintenance.

 

[Samw]

Thanks both. Valuable advice. Will remove the paint and hopefully the rest of the timber is sound. I guess will just have to leave/live with the resin filler in situ. It looks like a big hole..

Thank you

 

[Kearn]

Thanks both. Valuable advice. Will remove the paint and hopefully the rest of the timber is sound. I guess will just have to leave/live with the resin filler in situ. It looks like a big hole..

Thank you I wouldn’t just leave the resin, it can cause major rot. It being a big hole is all the more reason to get it properly assessed by a decent carpenter.

 

[Kearn]

Ha, can’t edit my reply and oddly I’ve managed to lose my response in your quoted text!

 

[Samw]

Thanks all. I’ve started peeling paint off and there’s deffo more to this underneath. You can quite clearly see filler has been used for most of the beams length. Worrying…

 

[Cubist]

Is there any indication at all of old movement/separation/repairs of the mortar joints in the brick/stone work above the lintel? Theres a reasonable chance the crack you've exposed in the lintel is an old 'shake' that could have opened up after the timber was first installed and, provided the materials used in the past to fill the cavity were breathable, theres a chance any rot has been limited. Assuming that you ultimately find that the lintels timber is in good structural condition and the wall above is not threatened then it may be possible to oakum as a packing for the cavity and finally filled with a lime mortar.

 

[Samw]

Thanks. There’s no evidence of any previous repairs. Filler looks basic and given it’s been painted over with a thick oil based paint, fair to assume it’s not breathable! Will strip back and see what’s going on underneath. I’ve got a carpenter coming to take a look next week.