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How to install a lintel

A person using a rubber mallet to insert a metal lintel into a slot in brickwork

Overview

Installing a lintel is an important step before cutting a hole in a brick wall. The lintel is a flat steel beam that holds the wall up once you have removed the bricks. We'll show you everything you need to know to position and install your lintel correctly.

Steps

1Work out where you can put your hole and mark up

Get a builder or structural engineer to have a look at your house plans to find the right place for your hole. Once you have found the right place, mark the line of mortar the lintel will sit in. The ends of your lintel will rest on top of bricks, so make sure it's 300mm longer than the width of your hole.
A person marking a brick wall using a metal lintel and marker pen

2Cut a gap for the lintel

Use an angle grinder to cut away the mortar. Depending on the thickness of your mortar, you may need to trim some of the brick as well. Then use a masonry chisel and mash hammer to knock out the remaining mortar. Once the bulk of it has been cleared away, use a hammer drill with a long 10mm masonry bit to clean the gap up.
A person using an angle grinder to cut away mortar in a brick wall

3Install the lintel into the gap in the wall

Place the lintel in the gap. Use a mash hammer to gently knock it in. Then prepare some ready mix mortar and mortar the ends of the lintel into place with a trowel. Run your finger along the wet mortar to give it a profile that matches the existing mortar line. Then wipe the bricks down with a wet rag to finish. 
A person using a rubber mallet to insert a metal lintel into a slot in brickwork
Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.