Your building is made up of many different materials and features, each with its own job within the structure of the building. Lintels are an important part of your building’s structure and they come in a range of materials. If you are not sure what lintels are, this blog is here to help explain why they are important and why you may want to consider cast stone lintels in your home.
What are lintels?
A lintel is a beam that is placed above windows and doors. They are there to support the load from the structure above it because windows and doors are not made to carry large loads so they often need extra support which comes in the form of lintels. Lintels are usually found in masonry or brick structures.
What is the difference between a lintel and a window head?
While they look similar, window heads and lintels have very different purposes. Lintels are used as structure support, whereas window heads are mainly decorative features. Lintels are there to support the weight of the wall or opening while window heads simply add to the aesthetic appeal of the home.
Lintel materials
- Stone Lintels - These are a type of lintels commonly used where the stone is easily accessible. As they weigh a lot, they are not commonly used in hard-to-reach places. Natural stone lintels can be expensive, hard to transport and fragile. However, cast stone is a much more affordable option that offers higher flexibility. They can adapt to any size and shape to fit above your windows and doors
- Timber lintels - These are mostly used in barn conversions or older buildings. This is because modern buildings tend to use more practical options as timber can be structurally weak and less durable than other types of lintels. A large issue is dampness which can lead to rotting issues further down the line or even woodworm infestations.
- Brick lintels - These are mainly used in buildings that require light loading support and the opening gap is less than 1m. When brick lintels are frog-filled with mortar, it provides shear resistance to the end joints than the standard blocks that are normally used.
If you’re looking for quality cast stone products such as cast stone lintels or cast stone window heads, get in touch with the team at Shropshire Brick & Stone today.
Comments