Getting lippy
/Steel lintels are frequently used in today’s brick masonry construction. They provide the “shelf” upon which the veneer of brick is stacked up when it’s impractical to provide other forms of load bearing support. Lintels might be used for brick cladding on upper stories of tall buildings for example, or they might be applied where several facade materials are in use and the brick portions don’t begin at the foundation. Lintels are also commonly applied above window and door openings in the wall. They are extremely useful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are attractive.
Enter lipped brick — specially-shaped brick units with recesses cut into them to accommodate the lintel, leaving a lipped edge to cover the steel. Lipped brick can be cut individually on the job site, but a more sure way to get the desired fit and look is to have the units custom-manufactured to the designer’s specifications— something that many clay brick manufacturers can accommodate.
The trick is to make sure the lipped units have adequate bearing surface to support the loads they are exposed to in their position immediately against the lintel. All brick walls must be supported on at least 2/3 the thickness of the brick wythe, which can be difficult to achieve as the lip limits the ability to adjust the unit’s placement. Minimizing the width of the lip can create more room for error.
Flashing adjacent to a lintel with lipped brick also takes some adjustment. Flashing would ordinarily be placed above the lintel in the wall cavity, exiting the veneer between the brick unit and the lintel. But a brick with a lip oriented downward to cover the lintel’s edge beneath it blocks the path of the flashing. The solution is to install the lipped brick immediately beneath the lintel with the lip pointing upward, hiding the lintel’s edge from below. The flashing is then free to exit the veneer over the top of the lintel, protruding over the lip rather than being stopped by it.
Confused? No need to be. The Brick Industry Association has technical publications and guidance to help you out.
