A lintel is used over a door or window to hold up the wall above. Lintels are commonly made from steel, concrete, stone or wood. Lintels are almost always required, unless an arch is present.
Lintel problems
If a lintel is not present or is inadequate the wall ‘sags’ over the opening and visible cracks start to appear. If the wall is being held up by the door or window frame the load can sometimes cause the frame to bend and occasionally result in glass panes cracking. In extreme cases the brickwork can become loose and even fall out.
Lintel replacement and enhancement
We retrofit lintels and upgrade undersized lintels either from inside or outside the property. If it is necessary to disturb the wall outside we match the new brickwork, render or pebbledash as best as practicable. Sometimes lintel replacement takes place in conjunction with new windows or doors being fitted, all of which we can do if you require.
We install steel lintels (such as those made by Catnic and IG), stone lintels, decorative lintels and concrete lintels. We can replace cast in-situ concrete lintels with deep-section prestressed concrete lintels and can upgrade failing timber lintels.
Please contact us if you suspect one or more of your lintels has failed and we can help you rectify the problem.