What is the lintel?

Lintel replacement hmm, what is the lintel in the first place? A lintel is a structural, horizontal support, installed over a wall opening or vertical elements. It may have structural or decorative purpose, although it may serve both purposes at the same time. Most of modern lintels are made of steel. Therefore, steel lintels are common elements of masonry buildings in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Boring, right?

Interesting fact, however, all these triumphal arches in Rome or Paris are topped with lintels, too. They are very beautiful, aren’t they? But let’s get back to our local lintels.

We may say that age is the only reason for lintels going bad. Thus, damaged lintels are more often found on older buildings. Unfortunately, improper installation may also cause lintel to rust and decline considerably faster. Therefore, even lintels in newer buildings may cause concerns. Of course, this is not a common event. But nevertheless it is worth to observe.

Or just call us, if you have any concerns.

What causes the lintel to go bad? We established above that it is time but what more precisely? Well, we can blame it on chemistry. Oxidizing metal has a natural tendency to expand, hence rusting lintels expand as well. Obviously, masonry walls don’t allow any expansion and naturally this causes the wall to crack. There you go.

Lintel replacement, why and when?

Cracks in the masonry are main signs of rusting lintel. At first, starting from top corner of the window and running several feet. Often meandering diagonally across the wall.  At first, what starts as a small  hairline crack may later develop into long fault which could later cause serious brick displacement. Movements like that are particularly dangerous above top windows. They affect top sections of the wall and therefore may cause wall to shift.

Importantly, severe lintel rusting may cause serious structural damages thus leading to dangerous conditions. For example: water leaks, roof damage and even wall collapse are some problems related to lintels.

Often, to address rusting appearance and ugly leaks, lintels are sealed with caulking or covered with metal trim. However, it is not a proper way to deal with the problem. Sealing the lintel traps water inside. One thing leads to another, water accelerates iron oxidization and you guessed it. Consequently speeding lintel damage.

In sum, lintels are very important structural elements. Therefore, whenever problems like those above are noticed, Best Brickmasters can inspect them free of charge. After the inspection, we will provide detailed estimate of necessary services needed. In case structural plans are needed, we can recommend an engineer. Feel free to contact us with any concerns.