Door Lintels

Choosing the Right Door Lintel

A door lintel supports the masonry and other loads above a door opening, transferring them safely into the supporting wall on either side. Although lintels are often grouped by application, there is not always a fundamental difference between a “door lintel” and a “window lintel”. The correct product is determined by the wall construction, clear span, loading conditions and required bearing.

This collection contains steel cavity lintels commonly used above external door openings. If your project uses a different wall construction, you may need a concrete lintel, an internal box lintel or a lintel designed for a wider solid wall.

Door Lintels for Cavity Walls

In an external cavity wall, a steel cavity lintel can support the inner and outer leaves of masonry across the door opening. Selection starts with the cavity width and the width of the inner leaf, followed by the clear span and the loads carried above the opening.

Use the product filters to compare standard-, medium-, heavy- and extra-heavy-duty options across the available cavity widths. The required duty cannot be determined from the opening width alone: floor loads, roof loads, masonry height and the position of other openings may all affect the specification. You can also browse the wider cavity lintels range by construction type and size.

Lintels for Internal Door Openings

Internal doorways in masonry walls may use concrete lintels or steel box lintels, depending on the wall thickness, span, loading and required finish. A lighter lintel may be suitable where the loads are limited, but a loadbearing internal wall can still carry significant loads from floors, roofs or masonry above.

For common 100mm internal walls, browse our 100mm box lintels. We also stock a range of Naylor concrete lintels in different widths, depths and specifications.

Lintels for Solid Walls

Solid-wall construction requires a lintel suited to the full wall thickness and loading arrangement. Depending on the build, this could include a steel box lintel, separate lintels supporting different parts of the wall, or another purpose-specified solution.

For wider masonry walls, see our 215mm solid-wall lintels. The lintel should always be selected using the actual wall build-up rather than treating the door width as the only measurement.

Patio and Bifold Door Lintels

Patio, sliding and bifold doors create wider structural openings and may support masonry, floors or roof loads above. These openings commonly require a heavier-duty lintel, a longer bearing arrangement or an engineered solution.

Browse our dedicated bifold door lintels for products intended for wider openings. The final specification should account for the complete loading condition, not simply the overall door size.

What Size Door Lintel Do You Need?

Lintel length is based on the clear structural opening plus the required bearing at both ends. The bearing requirement varies according to the lintel, span and installation conditions, so it should be checked against the manufacturer’s instructions and project specification.

You will also need to confirm:

• the wall construction and cavity width;
• the width of the inner and outer masonry leaves;
• the clear structural opening;
• the loads from masonry, floors and roofs above;
• the required lintel duty and thermal performance;
• the specified bearing at each end; and
• whether padstones or other bearing details are required.

Do not select a lintel from the door width alone. The structural opening will normally be wider than the finished door or doorset, and the lintel must extend beyond that opening to provide the specified bearing.

Further Door Lintel Guidance

For worked sizing examples and a more detailed explanation of structural openings, bearing and different doorway types, read our Door Lintel Guide.

You can also explore our complete guide to lintels in the UK for a broader comparison of lintel types, materials and applications. If you are buying for a different type of opening, browse our window lintels.

If the loading arrangement is unclear or the opening is unusually wide, consult the project engineer, lintel manufacturer or another suitably qualified professional before ordering.