New door in a brick wall. Will I need a lintel?

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by Milhouse, Aug 28, 2014.

  1. Milhouse

    Milhouse New Member

    Hello All,

    I will be fitting a door in the side of my detached double garage so I can access the garage from the garden.

    The part of the existing wall where I want to instal the door is only single red brick. I believe it is not load bearing.

    I believe the load bearing parts of the walls are the four corners of the garage and midway along each wall which are double red brick.

    The garage has a pitched roof, the brick work above the door is 0.5m high at one end and 1m at the other end.

    The size of the door I'll be fitting is approx 2m x 0.8m, I'm looking at a wooden external door with wooden frame. See picture with chalk mark of new doorway.

    I'm going to hire a masonry circular saw to cut the hole.

    Will I need to use a concrete lintel above the door frame?

    Cheers for any advice.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. CraigMcK

    CraigMcK Screwfix Select

    I'm not a builder, so don't know the regulations. But personally I would, if you don't you are relying on the door frame to take the weight of the bricks above it!

    Some of the builders will be able to confirm the regulation side of it.
     
  3. Will your garage fall down if you don't fit one? I doubt it. Will cracks appear in the mortar lines in the brickwork above the doorway? Almost certainly. Will the next purchaser of your house wonder if they should proceed with the purchase 'cos anyone who cuts a doorway without using a lintel will likely have done some other dodgy stuff too? If they're sensible.

    You could almost certainly neatly cut out the horizontal row of bricks immediately above your proposed door frame using your saw so's you can slip your lintel straight in (with a min 150mm overlap at each end - I think...), with virtually no risk of the bricks above moving. Bed it in nicely, and allow the mortar to set for a few days, and then cut out your doorway.

    Almost certainly...
     
    Phil the Paver likes this.
  4. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    DA is spot on, fit lintel first, then cut door opening.
     
  5. Yes always put a lintel in
     
  6. Cut the verticals first, or you will cut through the lintel if fitted first.
     

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