What is the lintel on a fireplace?

A lintel bar (pictured to the right) is a small bracket of structural steel located on the top of the opening of your masonry fireplace. It may be found on the front of the fireplace opening or up inside the firebrick. Fireplace lintel installation takes place during the construction of your application by a professional mason. However, not all applications have lintels.

A steel fireplace lintel is intended to support the first row of bricks or stones over the firebox opening while the mortar dries. If it is still present in your existing fireplace, it should not be removed. 

Do I need a lintel bar to install a fireplace door?

When replacing your fireplace doors, be sure to evaluate your existing model. If it has a lintel, you will need to take note of its presence and measurements when submitting your fireplace dimensions to the manufacturer. This will ensure that the lintel will be accounted for in the fabrication of your door. Many doors have what's called a cutback-fit – this is where the innermost portion of the frames extends into the fireplace opening, while the outer frame positions over the fireplace facing as an overlap-fit.

Can I install a fireplace door without a lintel bar?

Unless adding a fireplace door is going to weaken the structural integrity of your masonry fireplace, you do not need a lintel bar to install a fireplace door. In the event that the addition of a lintel bar is needed, we highly recommend contacting a professional mason to complete this installation for you.

Do you need a lintel above a fireplace?

Most fireplaces already have a lintel installed. The purpose of the lintel is to support materials like stone or brick above the fireplace opening. In a stone or brick fireplace, it is possible for the fireplace to crumble if there is not a lintel installed. A lintel is not required in all fireplaces and most fireplaces that are not made of brick or stone do not have them.

What is the purpose of a lintel?

A lintel bar is designed and used to hold the structure and distribute the weight evenly through a stone or brick fireplace. When a brick or stone fireplace is built, a lintel bar is placed at the fireplace opening to hold the brick and stone. This also distributes the weight of the fireplace evenly to avoid the stone or brick breaking from the weight of the structure.