How do you hide the lintels?

[MortarThePoint]

This may be daft question, but how do you conceal the outer part of a window or door lintel in brickwork. The brickwork above the lintel is sat on top of the lintel and I don't want to be able to see the metal underside of the lintel when finished. What are my options? I know you can get special soldier course lintels but we don't want a soldier course.

 

Feels easier to hide it in walls that are rendered, but bare brickwork walls feel harder to hide the lintels in. Do people just paint the lintel? More RAL charts with the wife if so which isn't my favourite activity.

 

 

[Declan52]

You can get lintels that are black underneath so it's not as noticeable. 

[MortarThePoint]

1 minute ago, Declan52 said:

You can get lintels that are black underneath so it's not as noticeable. 

 

That's a good option. I wondered if anyone does a sort of sleeve that can tuck over the lintel, it could even have the cavity tray built in

[Declan52]

Your way overthinking something that isn't even an issue. Be realistic your never going to come from work some day and look up and even notice the lintel nevermind think that the underneath being silver/black is unsightly.

[MortarThePoint]

5 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

Your way overthinking something that isn't even an issue. Be realistic your never going to come from work some day and look up and even notice the lintel nevermind think that the underneath being silver/black is unsightly.

 

You're right, it was just a new thing to think about but as you say you won't notice it as it's in shade anyway.

[PeterW]

21 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said:

 

That's a good option. I wondered if anyone does a sort of sleeve that can tuck over the lintel, it could even have the cavity tray built in

There isn’t an issue - tend to use black these days as they look nicer anyway, but as @Declan52 says, you don’t look up and see them. There is only normally around 25-50mm showing anyway due to the window or door placement. 

[nod]

While I stuck a rip of cement board under the ones to be rendered I glued a 45 mil trim that matched the frame on the ones that weren’t rendered 

[MortarThePoint]

1 hour ago, nod said:

While I stuck a rip of cement board under the ones to be rendered I glued a 45 mil trim that matched the frame on the ones that weren’t rendered 

 

Looks very smart, good job!

[Brickie]

Used to be able to get pvc sleeve cover strips for them,haven’t seen them on site for a while though. 

[Brickie]

Slides over the lip of the lintol. 
 

[AliG]

My last two developer built houses had lintels showing above the windows and I hated it.

 

In the current place where lintels were on show we stuck render board to them and took the render into the reveal as @nod has done

[Matt Davey]

With some mesh applied these can be rendered upto the widow frame, but I have also seen PVC flat strip glued to cover it up too. I agree that it is a raw building material, often with blemishes that is not desirable to be on show if it can be helped. Doesn't seem to bother most by the seems of it though! Perhaps just the more OCD of us! ?

[epsilonGreedy]

@MortarThePointHas your architect specified full 100mm brick reveals?

 

As you can see in the thread this finishing detail is an issue for some of us. 

 

Catnic lintels are black but unfortunately these were a special order to Lincolnshire. Catnic is a dosy provincial outfit to try and deal direct with. Keystone lintels have a galvanized colour finish. I might try and disguise my Keystones once the full brick reveal windows are fitted.