replace door with window (header needed?)

[zongatron]

Hi everyone,

Scenario - Besser brick house, single story, low ceiling, flat roof, slab floor.
I want to remove a door + jamb ( the jamb is metal ) and install a window into the opening.
Currently, above the door opening, there is half a besser brick (in height) and then another besser brick on top of that and then the top plate. There is no header above the doorway. So 1 + 1/2 bricks above the doorway.
There is a window close beside this doorway and to make the new window the same height I need to remove the 1/2 brick row of bricks and leave the top row of full brick intact. And then lay a row of full bricks on the floor.
The window i wish to install is Vic Ash hardwood and approximately 860 wide. It has quite thick vertical sides/reveals and also a center mullion running up the middle splitting the window into two seperate panes (each approx 410 wide) Very heavy and plenty of strength.
So im after your opinions on wether removing the 1/2 row will weaken the top row substantially leading me to have to remove them and put a header in? Or do you think as i do that the top row will remain keyed in and the strength of the window plenty enough.Thanks

[billbeee]

You should be able to take out the half height (100 block) row above the door without affecting the strength. The course above, the last full blocks of the wall should not be disturbed as that will be a bond beam course.
You are not altering the opening width, so you should have no worries structurally.

Just make sure you get it documented and inspected according to your local regs.

Cheers
Bill

[zongatron]

Thanks mate. Great answer.
Going to check out your site now.