Are Lintels needed for venting thru brick wall?

Randy Vroon · 08-21-2010, 06:38 AM

In a residential attached-garage environment, I am installing air intake and stale air exhaust venting. The exterior wall is brick.
Question: Will I need to install any Lintels above the vents noted below?

The Air Intake hooded vent has approximately 11" x 11" opening. It will have only 4 or 5 rows of brick above it. Vent is at about the 9-foot level.
The stale air exhaust vent is a 9-inch diameter pipe with 12" x 12" hood. The exhaust vent location will have approx. 20-feet of brick rows above it. Vent is at about the 11-foot level

With a short opening span of less than 1 foot, will the overhead brick wall be suitably supported within itself without needing extra reinforcement using a lintel?

Thankyou

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James Duffin · 08-21-2010, 07:25 AM

R606.10 Lintels. Masonry over openings shall be supported
by steel lintels, reinforced concrete or masonry lintels or

masonry arches, designed to support load imposed.

I don't see any exceptions listed so I would say yes to your question. It would be a small lintel though.

Elliot Franson · 08-21-2010, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by Randy Vroon

In a residential attached-garage environment, I am installing air intake and stale air exhaust venting. The exterior wall is brick.
Question: Will I need to install any Lintels above the vents noted below?

The Air Intake hooded vent has approximately 11" x 11" opening. It will have only 4 or 5 rows of brick above it. Vent is at about the 9-foot level.
The stale air exhaust vent is a 9-inch diameter pipe with 12" x 12" hood. The exhaust vent location will have approx. 20-feet of brick rows above it. Vent is at about the 11-foot level

With a short opening span of less than 1 foot, will the overhead brick wall be suitably supported within itself without needing extra reinforcement using a lintel?

Thankyou

Mr. Vroon: A lintel should not be required in this instance.

**Markus Keller** · 08-21-2010, 10:29 AM

Since we don't know the particular construction and condition of your walls, you should probably install lintels just to be safe.
On the other hand, we just to knock out these holes, semi-round as possilbe, parg the inside of the hole and finish the install.
Never had any movement or call back.

Elliot Franson · 08-21-2010, 10:45 AM

On the other hand, we just to knock out these holes, semi-round as possilbe, parg the inside of the hole and finish the install.
Never had any movement or call back.

Mr. Keller: That is how it is done here too.

David Bell · 08-21-2010, 11:00 AM

Much would depend on your method of opening these holes. Core boring the round and saw cutting the square one should alleviate the need for support, while chiseling of any kind may loosen up bricks you didn't want to remove.

Elliot Franson · 08-21-2010, 12:22 PM

Befpre Mr. Peck, Watson, et al. chime in with the inherent dangers of cutting an 11" square in brick veneer, you might also consider adding wall ties around the perimeter of the opening. I would not, but you might.

HELI-TIE ™ Helical Wall Tie ~ Simpson Strong-Tie Anchor Systems®

**Jerry Peck** · 08-21-2010, 02:42 PM

Openings versus holes.

Would you need a lintel over a hole for a 1/2" conduit, even if PVC? No.

Would you need a lintel over a 2' wide opening? Yes.

Would you need a lintel over a 2' diameter hole? Probably not. A round hole has supporting strength built in while a square or rectangular opening would not have that support built in.

Also, if the hole was round and suspect of not being strong enough, simply cut a short piece of Sch 40 steel pipe and line the hole with it.