WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
A lintel is the structural member spanning the top of an opening and supporting the building above it.
In practice
It matters when assessing available headroom, fixing positions or an alteration to a garage entrance. A decorative fascia or the top of the old door frame should not automatically be treated as the lintel.
Changing an opening, removing a central pier or altering a supporting member needs an appropriate structural assessment. A wider door quotation is not approval to carry out building work. Tell the door team about proposed alterations so the final dimensions, support and installation sequence can be coordinated.
