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Window Ledges, Sills and Lintel

Maximum Precision specializes in professional masonry repairs including window sill, ledge and lintel replacement, repair and restoration. We also can resize window and door openings, carefully modifying masonry structures to accommodate new installations or design changes.

Montreal mason silhouette window sill repair

Broken Sills, Ledges and Lintels

In Montreal and throughout Quebec broken window ledges(sills) and lintels are a common problem largely caused by our frequent freeze and thaw cycles or slight shifting at the foundation. Let us replace that broken window ledge and help you prevent future damage.

Window ledges come in a few different varieties and typically with height of either 2" or 5". Here are main options:

Concrete Ledge and Lintel Finishes

concrete ledge different color options chart

window ledge cracked in Montreal needing repair

Stone Ledge and Lintel Finishes

stone window ledges indiana st-marc limestone window ledge comparision

Broken Lintels and Rusted Angle Irons

Above every window on a masonry wall you will find either a Concrete/stone Lintel and/or an angle iron. It's structural purpose is to hold up the rest of the wall above the window. If this lintel or angle iron begins to degrade, the wall above the window becomes unstable and may result in sagging, bulging, window/door damage or in the worst case total failure and collapse.

One sign that signifies the beginnings of a problem is if:

The lintel looks visibly damaged
The angle iron looks bowed, sagging or bent
The angle iron is excessively rusty
You notice mortar joint cracking above the window.
Ladder or stair cracks near the window
You have trouble opening the window or door

Resizing windows, doors & angle irons

In the course of renovations, or if you are planning to resize your home's windows or doors, you may need to change the opening size of the masonry.

It sounds simple but it is quite a challenging job. If your window installer says they will do it themselves, please take a second to reconsider. over the years we have seen many botched window and door resizing jobs. Your newly renovated windows should look aesthetically pleasing along with the masonry work surrounding them.

It is always better to phone a professional masonry contractor such as Maximum Precision to ensure your home gets the beautiful finish it deserves.

Resizing the opening involves often removing significant amounts of bricks while properly supporting the existing masonry wall. A newly sized angle iron or lintel is installed and then the bricks are put back as needed. The final touch is the joint finish and final wall cleaning

Reference Information

What is a Window Sill or Window Ledge?

A window sill or window ledge is the horizontal structure or surface at the bottom of a window. Window sills serve to structurally support and hold the window in place.

Sometimes the window sill gets damaged and we need to replace it with a new one. In the second picture we see a window with the window ledge removed.

What is a Window Lintel?

A lintel is a structural horizontal block that spans the space or opening between two vertical supports.[1]

It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over, doors, windows, portal frames and fireplaces.

The process of changing a lintel is similar to changing a window ledge.