Missing Lintel and Slipped Soldier Course, Southampton

The problem

A landlord came to us about a soldier course of brickwork above an opening that had slipped. On site we found there had never been a lintel installed to support it — the brickwork had been relying on brick bond alone, which eventually gave way.

The cause

Without a lintel, the brickwork above the opening has no structural bearing. Brick bond can hold a small span for years but it isn’t a permanent substitute for proper structural support — eventually, under the combined effect of dead load, moisture cycling, and thermal movement, the soldier course begins to slip.

What we did

1. Soldier course removal. The slipped soldier course bricks were carefully removed and set aside for reinstatement.
2. Temporary support. The masonry above the opening was temporarily supported before any lintel work began.
3. Angle iron lintel installation. A new angle iron lintel was installed at the correct bearing length on both sides of the opening, properly bedded on mortar.
4. Cavity tray. A cavity tray was installed above the new lintel at the same time. Including the tray at lintel installation is straightforward; retrofitting it later is significantly more involved.
5. Soldier course reinstatement. The soldier course bricks were relaid above the new lintel and pointed in lime mortar to match the wider repointing work already underway on the property.

The result

Completed over 2 days by two people. The lime mortar specification was driven by the wider repointing programme — using lime mortar here kept the finish consistent across the whole property. Including the cavity tray in the scope at lintel installation added minimal time and prevents moisture building up above the lintel in future.