The lintel of a garage is a load-bearing beam that supports the opening in the framing where the garage door will be installed. This part of the structure is subject to a lot of wear and tear, vibration and weather damage, which may cause it to warp, bend or buckle. If you notice problems with the area above your garage door, it is important to promptly schedule a garage door repair in Bakersfield.

Concrete and Stone Lintel Repair Wood and Steel Door Framing Restoration Simply fill out the form, and tell us about your lintel repair and installation project in detail, and we will connect you with a local Mississippi pro who will contact you with the next steps, costs involved and timeline for completion. Steel Lintels should be installed with a minimum end bearing of 150mm, bedded on mortar and levelled along its length and across its width. The masonry above the lintel should be built in accordance with BS EN 1996-2:2006. Concrete and Stone Lintel Repair Wood and Steel Door Framing Restoration Simply fill out the form, and tell us about your lintel repair and installation project in detail, and we will connect you with a local Mississippi pro who will contact you with the next steps, costs involved and timeline for completion. LintelLift Products LintelLift is a patented system created to be installed either during construction to prevent sagging in the future or after a lintel has begun to sag. It is a comprehensive system designed and tested to guarantee a proper and permanent repair of a sagging garage lintel. Installing a lintel is an important step before cutting a hole in a brick wall. The lintel is a flat steel beam that holds the wall up once you have removed the bricks. We’ll show you everything you need to know to position and install your lintel correctly. Continue to step-by-step instructions.

Lintel Materials

On older houses and garages, a lintel may be made of wood. Hardwoods such as oak, hickory or walnut were typically used for lintels. Houses and garages built since the 1950s usually use metal. The steel or steel alloy may be coated with zinc in order to add some weather resistance.

What the Lintel Does

The lintel bears and redistributes the load from the portion of the garage wall that is above the garage door’s opening. It transfers the weight to the vertical beams that hold it upright. It also provides the upper portion of the frame where the track of the garage door comes down the wall.

Common Problems

Old wood lintels may develop wet rot or dry rot. They may warp as a result of extreme temperatures in a garage that is not heated and cooled. Wood lintels are also prone to pest damage if termites, carpenter ants or carpenter bees enter the structure. Lintels may warp under the heavy weight of a brick wall. Settling of the garage may also increase warping. Metal lintels may corrode over time. If the temperature fluctuates rapidly, the expansion and contraction of the metal may cause sagging and bowing of the lintel. Lintel problems make it difficult or impossible to operate the garage door.

1. Steel Lintels should be installed with a minimum end bearing of 150mm, bedded on mortar and levelled along its length and across its width.
2. The masonry above the lintel should be built in accordance with BS EN 1996-2:2006.
3. Raise the inner and outer leaves simultaneously to avoid excessive eccentricity of loading, with a maximum height difference of 225mm (Masonry should be laid on a mortar bed and all perpendicular joints should be filled.)
4. Allow the mortar to cure before applying floor or roof loads (Temporary propping beneath a steel lintel is practised to facilitate speed of construction).
5. The NHBC recommend a damp proof course (DPC) or cavity tray should be installed over all openings in external cavity walls.
6. When installing concrete floor units or other heavy components above a lintel, care should be taken to avoid shock loading and floor units should not be dragged into position. Masonry immediately above the lintel should be allowed to cure.
7. Point loads should not be applied directly onto lintel flanges. Steel Lintels should have a minimum of masonry 150mm high between the flange and the application level of any form of loading. Consult IG’s technical department if applying a point load above lintels.
8. The external lintel flange must project beyond the window/door frame and it is recommended that a flexible sealing compound is used between the underside of the lintel flange and the frame.
9. When the underside of a lintel is exposed, its appearance can be enhanced by the addition of lintel soffit cladding.
10. Do not cut lintels to length or modify them in any way without consulting an IG engineer.

Lintel position within a cavity wall

In accordance with BS EN 1996-2:2006 and NHBC requirements all external wall lintels MUST be installed with a flexible damp proof course with the exception of those adequately protected by an eaves overhang or similar form of protection.

• Lintel should be centred in the cavity and the distance between lintel up-stand within the cavity and masonry must not exceed 10mm
• Masonry should not overhang any flange by more than 25mm.

Lintels For Garage Door Opening

Propping

Lintel Garage Door Installation Kit

The practice of propping a lintel is sometimes used to facilitate speed of construction. It should only be introduced after initial masonry load has been applied to the lintel.
When propping a lintel, a horizontal timber plank should be placed along the underside of the lintel and suitable* props secured into place at maximum 1200mm centres.
* Suitability of props is the responsibility of site management.