Steel Lintels
More information about Steel Lintels
What are steel lintels?
If you need strong and durable load-bearing support for your brickwork, steel lintels are an ideal solution. Steel lintels are support beams used between two vertical supports and placed over door and window openings, external doors, internal partitions and other openings, and are an essential support mechanism in any structural project.
Most often, you’ll use a metal lintel over a window or doorway frame opening as a way of strengthening the structure at a potentially weak point by distributing the weight from above across the surrounding walls. Lintel support is a crucial part in ensuring the structural integrity of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Steel lintels are used in masonry cavity walls, solid inside and outside walls, closed eaves, timber frame building and jobs where high load-bearing support is needed.
What are the benefits of using steel lintels?
Steel lintels have an especially high strength-to-weight ratio when compared to other types of lintels. Our choice of metal lintels can support heavier loads with less material, making them more cost-effective and space-saving than concrete or timber lintels. They also offer excellent thermal performance and are usually galvanized or coated with zinc to prevent rusting and ensure a long-lasting performance in any weather condition.
As well as offering load bearing support, improving wall integrity, and providing stability and durability, they’re easier to work with than other types of lintels. They’re more lightweight and therefore very easy to handle, fix, cut and install, helping to cut down on the installation time.
Steel lintels are incredibly versatile and come in various shapes, sizes and profiles to suit different applications and architectural styles. They can be tailored to fit a certain project’s needs, for example arched, corner or bay window support, and you can find flat, curved, arched or tapered steel lintels depending on the requirements of the job at hand.
What types of steel lintels do we have available?
You’ll find a wide choice of steel lintels available at Selco from leading brands such as IG. We supply a range of standard cavity lintels, internal and external single leaf lintels, and external solid wall lintels. Our lintels are available in a variety of types and sizes, there’s sure to be a steel lintel that matches the requirements of the job at hand. Our lightweight lintels enable you to manually handle each product without the need for machinery and therefore saving you money and time.
Get your steel lintels at exclusive trade-only prices
You can have your steel lintels, along with your other building materials, delivered straight to site with our free Click & Deliver, or pick up at a time that suits you with Click & Collect. You can find you local Selco with our branch finder.
FAQs
What are steel lintels used for?
Steel lintels are support beams placed above an opening in a wall, such as doors, windows and partitions. They’re usually made from durable pre-galvanised steel and are essential in supporting the structural integrity of the wall above an opening.
How much do steel lintels cost?
Depending on the size of the lintel and where it’s being installed, steel lintels can vary in price. At Selco, we offer a selection of steel lintels ranging anywhere from £15 to £200.
How do I remove rust from steel lintels?
One option is to remove and replace the rusty lintel with a new one if the rusted one is no longer supporting the brick. If the lintel is still providing support and you intend to keep it, you can remove the rust using a rust remover gel or rust protection spray designed for metal surfaces before priming it with a rust-resistant exterior metal primer and paint.
How do I drill into steel lintels?
Use an appropriate drill bit, such as a high-speed steel (HSS) drill bit to drill into steel lintels. Start with a smaller drill bit at a lower speed, then gradually increase the size and speed to drill your hole.
Is a steel lintel stronger than a concrete lintel?
Steel lintels are stronger and more durable than concrete lintels. They have higher tensile and compressive strength and a higher strength-to-weight ratio. They’re also more lightweight when compared to concrete, but they will come at a higher cost.