Fitting a box lintel

I am going to replace the wooden lintel over the old french door opeing in my 1936 semi. The room was been extended 30 odd years ago. There is nothing actually wrong with it except that as the wood has shrunk and it is loose although there is quite a pronounced twist in it. I am currently doing other works and have all the plaster stripped off so now seems a good time to replce the timber lintel. The new steel box lintel for the inner course of brickwork only has one side flush and one side with a lip top and bottom. I understand that the lipped side faces outwards, ie into the living room. Should the edge of the lip be flush with brickwork or does it need to stand proud of the brickwork. I don't see the point of the lip as I understand that the plasterer with still fit edging anyway.

kevin

It doesn't matter where the brick edge lands (obviously different brick sizes mean different results) but the lintel should be bedded onto strong sand/cement on each side by at least 200mm and checked for level. Bricking up on top ... if the width of the bricks is 100mm and the lintel is

90mm, the bricks should be placed central and overhang by 5mm on each side. If the lintel is actually wider than the bricks, then it should be placed so that there is less lintel showing at the front than at the back, IE not much overhang past the brickwork or you'll have plaster 30mm thick! The recess is there to affix timbers, (presuming there are holes in the recess, which there alway are..)...the timbers are plasterboarded over and allow for the fixing of curtain rails etc....roof batten is normally required for this.

HTH