Lintel Replacement

What are lintels?

Lintels are additional supporting (load bearing) structures spanning between vertical supports to create an opening in between that can have many uses including:

• Doorways

• Garage Doors

• Open areas

• Windows

Lintels have load bearing ratings and are used in brick homes for example to support the weight of brickwork above an opening to allow for the flow of the brickwork to continue.

They are made in many forms, ranging in shape and size to the material they are made from.

Problems with lintels

The most commonly used lintels in modern construction are made of galvanised steel, however lintels have also been constructed from timber, concrete and brickwork.

While each type of construction has their benefits, they all do have their issues.

Older buildings that may have concrete or brick lintels can possibly develop cracks that will weaken the structure, wooden lintels can bow over time or start to rot and steel lintels can corrode.

While a majority of homes built in in the recent past have used mainly steel lintels, even homes built in the last ten years have not used galvanised lintels and have started to corrode, which if left untreated, can cause the steel to expand and cause cracking to the surrounding brickwork, which in turn then effects the brickwork structure and the integrity of the lintel itself.

Home owners who live in coastal areas are most vulnerable to corrosion due to their heightened exposure to moisture and salty air, two of the candidates that most commonly cause steel to corrode.

How do we repair them?

With steel lintels, it must be assessed what type the lintel is, whether or not it has started to corrode and locate any cracking caused by the corrosion.

The brickwork and associated structure surrounding the lintel are then removed to allow access for it’s replacement.

As most lintels are usually made to size for the intended use, we can have lintels custom made and galvanised to be used as the replacements.

Once the new galvanised lintel has been installed, we reinstate the brickwork and any associated structures to their original positions.

When replacing a lintel In large spanning area such as a garage door opening, it may be required to install temporary supports to hold the weight of the roof structure while the repairs take place.

Once all the repairs have been completed, the lintel can be painted to match an original colour.

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