Do Brick Lintels Need to be Galvanized? 3 Reasons Why
When you’re working on a masonry or construction project, you have to be exact. There’s no room for error. You also need to be sure you’re working with the most reliable, long-lasting materials.
Brick lintels are horizontal beams that are placed over an opening in a wall. Not only do they allow an even distribution of weight, but they also prevent sagging and are important to the durability of the building.
Do brick lintels need to be galvanized? We’ll explore this question and provide three reasons why hot-dip galvanizing is a crucial part of any masonry or construction project.
Do Brick Lintels Need to Be Galvanized? A Closer Look At the Facts
Hot-dip galvanizing is a process where steel or other metals are immersed in a bath of molten zinc. This coating protects the underlying steel, providing corrosion resistance and durability that can last for decades. This rust protection is why galvanized materials are so vital to many DOT projects.
Lintels are exposed to environmental elements, especially moisture. If they rust, it can compromise the integrity of the wall.
Three Reasons Galvanization Is Vital For Your Brick Lintels
1. Durability That Lasts
We’ve briefly discussed how galvanization provides protection from rust. The layer of zinc serves as a strong, protective barrier that coats every corner of the lintel. It’s not unusual for hot-dip galvanized steel coatings to protect against corrosion for 50 years or more. The intermetallic layers of zinc alloy have more strength than the steel by itself.
In fact, galvanized lintels are abrasion-resistant, which allows for easier handling on job sites and masonry projects. Galvanizing your brick lintels is a cost-efficient way to protect your investment.
2. Efficiency
Galvanized lintels are more cost-efficient. While the initial investment may be slightly higher, this pales in comparison to the expense of replacing non-galvanized lintels and repairing the damage caused by exposure to the elements.
According to the American Galvanizers Association, not only do galvanized lintels pay off in the long term, but their cost is usually less than 0.1% of the cost of a new home. Galvanized brick lintels also require very little maintenance, which is another way they save you money throughout the years.
3. Protecting Structural Integrity
When your lintels rust, you’re faced with more than a mere aesthetics problem. This can create a serious threat to your structure’s safety. Rusted steel expands. Therefore, it can cause the concrete and brick around the lintel to break up. As a result, your home or building becomes unstable.
If you want reliability that you can count on through the decades, galvanized brick lintels are the obvious choice for safety, structural integrity and even aesthetics.
What Best Practices Should I Use for Utilizing Brick Lintels?
There are different types of galvanizing, primarily hot-dip and electro-galvanizing.
During hot-dipped galvanizing, the steel goes through a preparation process and is dipped in a bath of molten zinc, covering every inch of the steel. Hot-dip galvanizing has a lifespan that can extend to 50 years or more.
Electro-galvanizing utilizes a plating with an electrically charged slaine and zinc solution. The zinc bonds chemically to the steel. One of the main disadvantages of electro-galvanizing is that the zinc layer is very thin, and therefore, its life expectancy is not nearly that of hot-dipped galvanized material.
So do brick lintels need to be galvanized? Yes, but be sure to use hot-dip galvanizing. In fact, some building codes may require that lintels be galvanized.
South Atlantic Has You Covered With Long-Lasting Galvanized Brick Lintels
Lintels can affect the entire safety and structure of a building, so they should be protected from the elements. Failed lintels can cause sagging and even cracks in concrete. Hot-dip galvanized lintels are the right choice for products that will stand the test of time and resist corrosion in even the harshest environments.
Want to learn more about how South Atlantic Masonry Products has you covered? Contact us today and learn more about our galvanized brick lintels.
