What is the metal above a window?

Author: Lauretta Fritsch  |  Last update: Wednesday, June 17, 2026

A lintel or I-beam is a piece of steel that spans an opening (e.g., a door or window) and supports the masonry above it.

What is the metal above a window called?

The lintel of a window is a beam that sits horizontally along the top of the window (above the head of the frame). Commonly made of wood, steel or concrete, the lintel is a key part of the window construction.

What is the metal piece on top of a window?

Window Drip Cap

Also referred to as head flashing, drip cap is a formed metal or vinyl flashing, which is installed at the top of windows and doors. Drip cap is designed to shed water out and away from a window or door and prevent it from infiltrating into the home.

What is the thing above a window called?

The horizontal piece at the top of the window frame is called the head.

What is the support above a window called?

Simply put a lintel is a beam that is usually placed above windows and doors. The lintel's main job is to support the load from the structure above it. Both doors and windows are not constructed to structurally withstand massive loads by themselves. Lintels are mainly found in masonry or brick structures.

Remove Load-Bearing Walls & install Concrete Padstones & Steel

Can I drill into a metal lintel over a window?

Fixing Directly Into the Lintel. If you're drilling into steel lintels, consider using self-tapping screws. A self tapping screw is engineered to fix directly into metal without the need for wall plugs.

What is the bit above a window called?

The head is the main horizontal part forming the top of the window frame. Jambs. Jambs are the main vertical parts forming the sides of a window frame. Sill. A sill is the main horizontal part forming the bottom of the frame of a window.

What is the decorative piece above a window?

Pediments are decorative features that are placed at the tops of windows or doors that add charm, sophistication, and value to your home. The window pediment is an underutilized exterior feature. Too often, homeowners forget how much an understated accent to windows and pediments can add to their home.

What is the structural member above a window?

The structural member directly above windows and doors is known as the header, which supports loads from the structure above. It is essential for maintaining wall integrity by redistributing weight to vertical elements. Headers can be made from various materials, including wood, stone, or reinforced concrete.

What is the stone above a window called?

Cast Stone Heads and Lintels. A window head is the stone which spans the aperture above a window, and a door head spans the aperture above the door. These are non-structural decorative features that enhance the visual appearance of a project.

What is the metal trim around windows called?

Casing is a type of moulding used as trim for the perimeter of windows and doors.

What is the bar at the top of a windows window called?

Windows app title bar - Windows apps | Microsoft Learn.

What is a window capping?

What Is Window Capping? Simply put, window capping or cladding is a material – generally vinyl or aluminum covering a wood frame of the window. When added to the window, it protects the wood from exposure to the elements, ensuring the window will last for many years.

What does a lintel look like?

A lintel, in its simplest form, can be defined as a horizontal beam that spans on opening, effectively distributing the weight of the structure above it to the surrounding vertical supports.

What material is above a window?

Modern window lintels are made from either steel or concrete. They can be installed as single-leaf items for either the inner or outer masonry wall, or as a cavity lintel, either made from a single, folded piece of steel or other combination.

What is the piece above a door or window?

A transom is a narrow window located above a door or window. Most transom windows do not operate, but if they do, they are typically hinged at the top like an awning window.

What is the metal support above a window called?

Window lintels are beams that run along the top of windows in order to support and properly distribute the structure's overall weight. In the past, they would most often be found in masonry or brick structures, but nowadays they are a requirement in any building without proper weight support.

Which member is located above a window?

Header (also lintel; beam) — supporting member or beam above window opening which transfers building weight above to the supporting wall structure on each side of the window.

What is purlin for?

A metal purlin is a lightweight, horizontal beam or bar that is used for structural support in roofing. In addition to providing support, metal purlins also increase a building's resistance to heavy winds. Purlins are a key component to the secondary frame of commercial, residential and industrial metal buildings.

What is the metal plate above a window called?

A lintel is a type of structural support used in buildings. They are installed horizontally above opening such as doors and windows to support the load of the structure above. Lintels can be made of bricks, concrete, timber or metal.

What is the difference between a cornice and a parapet?

Cornice: Decorated trim work placed along the top of a wall. Parapet: A wall that ex- tends above the roofline.

What is a mullion?

A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid support to the glazing of the window.

What is a lintel above a window?

A lintel is a beam placed across openings like doors, windows etc. in buildings to support the load from the structure above. Windows and doors are not made to be structural members of the home. When an opening is made in a home, there is a concentrated load above the doorway or window opening that must be supported.

What are the studs above a window called?

Cripples or Cripple Stud

Studs cut short to fit below or above window and door openings are called cripples.

What does muntins mean?

A muntin (US), muntin bar, glazing bar (UK), or sash bar is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins can be found in doors, windows, and furniture, typically in Western styles of architecture.

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