What is the purpose of a lintel?

A lintel is a structural horizontal support used to span an opening in a wall or between two vertical supports. It is frequently used over windows and doors, both of which represent vulnerable points in a building’s structure. Lintels are generally used for load-bearing purposes, but they can also be decorative.

What is lintel in house building?

A lintel is a horizontal structural member which spans across the supports of an opening such as a door or window in a building. Lintels can be made of materials such as timber, concrete, or steel. Concrete lintels are usually provided with nominal reinforcement, due to the inherent low tensile strength of concrete.

What is a lintel in masonry?

A lintel is a structural member placed over an opening in a wall. In the case of a brick masonry wall, lintels may consist of reinforced brick masonry, brick masonry arches, precast concrete or structural steel shapes.

Do you need a lintel above a window?

Do you need a lintel above a window? In the case of a window, a lintel is extremely important since it distributes the weight of anything above the window onto the surrounding wall instead of placing the weight onto the window frame. Without a lintel above a window there is a danger of structural damage to a property.

Do you need a lintel above an exterior door?

4 Answers from MyBuilder Window & Door Fitters Old houses where built on timber windows and door frames. As they do have lintel in the inner most likely they won’t on the exterior. If there is a lintel there a tradesmen will be able to spot it. But once the timber frame is removed a lintel would be required.

Is an RSJ a lintel?

An RSJ or Rolled Steel Joist, is a steel beam, steel girder or steel lintel.

What is a spandrel girder?

In steel or concrete structures, the spandrel beam is the exterior beam that stretches horizontally from one column to another column. These are also known as edge beam. Spandrel beams are provided on each floor which helps distinguish floor levels in high-rise buildings.

Where is the lintel on a door?

A lintel is a large block that sits horizontally at the top of an opening, between the vertical supports. So, in a doorway, the door lintel will be found sitting above the two vertical supports of the door frame. For a window, the lintel will sit at the top of the window frame.

Where is the lintel above a window?

There are beams in wood structures that are usually called headers that serve the same purpose. Where do I find lintels? If your home or building is built with brick or masonry block, then lintels should be present between the window/door and the brick/masonry block above the window.

Do lintels need fire protection?

Exposed faces of lintels must be provided with fire protection. Avoid point loads immediately above a lintel unless proven by a structural engineer.

Can you drill into a lintel?

When drilling into a concrete lintel, you should start with the smallest drill bit for masonry you have in your set. A drill bit of 3mm is a good place to start, and you can then work up from there to get the size of hole you need. When it comes to concrete, the smaller the drill bit, the easier it will penetrate.