A garage lintel is usually defined as an angle iron which spans across the garage door. A typical lintel is a 3"x5" angle iron with holes pre drilled into it for lagging the angle to the header or structural beam that also crosses the garage door opening.

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Over the years we have replaced or repaired over 500 failing or sagging garage door lintels in the Dallas area. Most of these failures can have been avoided had the brick mason installed the lintel properly. In order to correct the lintel issues, we have to raise the sagging and then lag the lintel the the header as outlined by the (BIA) Brick Institute of America.

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www.gobrick.com | Brick Industry Association | TN 28 | Brick Veneer/Wood Stud Walls | Page 9 of 18

 

Lintels Except when the masonry is self-supporting, brick veneer must be supported over openings by lintels. Lintels provide support of brickwork over masonry openings by bearing on the brickwork on each side of the opening, rather than attaching to the building structure, as is the case with shelf angles. Lintels may be reinforced brick masonry, reinforced concrete masonry or steel angles. Typical residential construction details for a steel and masonry lintel are shown in Figure 5. Lintel design information may be found in Technical Notes 17B and 31B. Steel, stone or precast lintels should bear at least 4 in. (102 mm) on brickwork on each side of the opening. Lintels must be appropriately sized to carry the weight of the veneer. Prescriptive requirements within the IRC permit single lintels with maximum clear spans up to the values shown in Table 2. Alternatively, a steel lintel 5 by 3½ by 5⁄16 in. (127 by 89 by 8 mm) or larger can span up to 18 ft-3 in. (5.6 m) if the construction complies with Figure 6 and the following requirements, as taken from IRC Section 703.7.3.2: • A minimum length of 18 in. (457 mm) of masonry veneer is provided on each side of the opening; • The angle is shored for a minimum of seven days after installation of the brickwork above; • Double-wire joint reinforcement, 3⁄16 in. (4.8 mm) in diameter must be placed in the first two bed joints above the opening and extend 12 in. (305 mm) beyond each side of the opening. Alternatively, 9 gage (0.144 in. [3.66 mm] diameter) joint reinforcement placed in the first three bed joints above the opening may be used. Splices in joint reinforcement must be lapped a minimum of 12 in. (305 mm). Reinforced Brick Lintels. Reinforced brick lintels are also a viable option. Some of the advantages of reinforced brick lintels include more efficient use of materials; inherent fire resistance; elimination of differential movement, which may occur with steel lintels and brick veneer; and no required painting or other maintenance. The design of reinforced brick lintels is addressed in Technical Note 17B. Sealant Steel Angle Lintel Loose Steel Lintel Window Lintels Weep Through-Wall Flashing Precast Concrete Lintel Sealant Masonry Lintel Weep Through-Wall Flashing Water-Resistive Barrier Lapped over Flashing Water-Resistive Barrier Lapped over Flashing Figure 5 Lintel Details Sealant Steel Angle Lintel Loose Steel Lintel Window Lintels Weep Through-Wall Flashing Precast Concrete Lintel Sealant Masonry Lintel Weep Through-Wall Flashing Water-Resistive www.gobrick.com | Brick Industry Association | TN 28 | Brick Veneer/Wood Stud Walls | Page 10 of 18 Steel Lintels. Steel angle lintels should be at least ¼ in. (6 mm) thick, with a horizontal leg sized to support a minimum of two-thirds the thickness of the brick wythe. A horizontal leg of at least 3½ in. (89 mm) is recommended for use with nominal 4 in. (102 mm) wide brick veneer, and a horizontal leg of 3 in. (75 mm) for use with nominal 3 in. (75 mm) wide brick veneer. Steel lintels with spans greater than 8 ft (2.4 m) may require lateral bracing for stability. Space should be provided at the end of all steel lintels to accommodate expansion of the steel.