Thread: Door Frame advice please.

I don't know your local building regs, but a lintel is certainly the way to go as far as I am concerned. Anything else, and every time the door slams, shakes and rattles, the cracks will be back.

Thanks for responding Dragonfly!

I can't help with useful knowledge, but I can encourage you ...

If an idiot like me can add on to a door, anyone can

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/m...roject-153263/

Cheers,
Paul

G'day Rod. Your going to need an experienced builder to have a look. The pics are good in helping your description, but a trained eye needs to have a good look to really see what's going on. You may be right with your theory, but a dropped footing can also cause similar cracking. Then again it could be something else all together. Good luck.

Lintels are a must under brickwork and, if I'm not mistaken, the inside wall is rendered conc? So should have a lintel under that, too.

From the pics, it's obvious there isn't one under the brick veneer... I imagine it was pulled out when the doors were widened and not replaced. Not exactly a wise move, nor one that complies with minimum building code!

Actually, it should be a 'T' profile lintel mounted upside-down between the two but that's a lot of work to fit now - unless you have a tame bricky to hand. Fitting lintels from the outside faces is more obvious, but will make things both stabler and safer. Because the outside one will be exposed to weather it should be galvanised at the least; a coat of primer & enamel paint on the inside surfaces (ie. the faces that go against & under the brickwork) can also improve long term durability.

CMB may be right about dropped footings... but that opening does need lintel(s) - one under the brickwork at the very least - and it doesn't have 'em. Whether this is the cause of your cracking (it most likely is) or not, it is something that needs to be addressed asap.

Sturdy frames are always a good idea on external openings... but shouldn't be relied upon to support overhead weight.

Good advice there,no one has mentioned but as you are in Perth make sure that you use timber treated against termites.
Common practice in Perth is to have metal door jambs,this looks like it was removed in the widening.