Brick Lintel 1

[vbprgmreng]

I'm a DIY'er and am building an exterior wall to enclose a patio. Stick frame with a brick exterior. It will have a door and 2 windows. I know that brick lintels (I will be using plain, "L"-shaped steel lintels) will be needed over each opening. What I am trying to find out is how, or if, the lintels are normally attached to the headers.

If not attached, do they just rest on the adjoining brick that surround the openings and are just held in place by the mortar that encases them?

I have found many tech. ref's. on lintels, but nothing about how they attach (or not).
Thanks!

 

[demayeng]

Yes they are just mortared in. Mortar all faces of bricks in contact with lintel to ensure as much composite action as possible is achieved.

They bear on (and are mortared into) the surrounding masonry by around 150mm (from australian code, for openings > 1m).

Good luck doing the bricklaying yourself - it takes some skill!

 

[TXStructural]

Loose lintels work for small "punched" openings, refer to BIA note 31B, found at:

http://www.gobrick.com/BIA/technotes/TN31B.pdf

This contains tables to help you choose wisely.

Use a bigger lintel to prevent deflection and cracking. The front edge of the lintel should be near the front of the mortar. Either visible in the joint or far enough back to allow an inch mortar. You can cope away a bit of the horizontal leg to make room for mortar.

Remember to manage your water, since brick veneer is quickly penetrated by rain, and you have to get the water out. Consider a rubberized asphalt wrap (like you'd use to seal windows to sheathing) on top of the lintel, under the brick.

 

[vbprgmreng]

Hey, thanks folks - this really helps.
I just noticed the existing lintels in the other doors and windows in my 1-story house do not have weep holes. The only ones I see are down near the foundation, as expected. I live in south Ala. Maybe the local code does not require them over lintels(?)

 

[hokie66]

Codes don't cover all good practice issues. Lintels in external walls should have flashing and weepholes as indicated by the BIA document. The only case where I might omit them is when the lintel is completely shielded from rain by an awning or roof.

 

[DaveAtkins]

I would only add that on a very wide opening (like a sliding glass door), you may need to lag screw the lintel back to the header, because the lintel may not be able to span the opening. But then the header would need to be designed for the brick load.

DaveAtkins