Thanks.
They’re easier to see in real life and the horizontal lines on steel garage doors are great for spotting and illustrating header/lintel sag when you look along the line of the lintel at a shallow angle. I also had an outstanding repeat client that was engaged and pressed the builder and kept me in the loop through the process.
Didn’t mean to hijack the thread and make it about me, only to highlight with a real world example that there can be serious underlying issues that the inspector can’t see when they observe atypical brick cracking above a large opening. The brick cracks are more than likely the symptom, not the problem. Advise your client to determine and address the root cause, not just fix the bricks in the veneer.
As always, members are welcome to use or adapt any report verbiage I share for their own reporting style.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. It was greatly appreciated.
Also not helping your cause, it looks like they mortared the lintel space above the window and above the garage. Nowhere for water to drain or weep.
I din’t see that much except for the outer counties/townships but it sure is backwards from good construction practices and poor planning! 
Chuck - I wanted to see if I could get some additional feedback on another garage lintel. I’m a little hesitant on these now after the comments I received on the previous post about this topic.
You can see the gap between the lintel and the mortar above the garage. Some inspectors have said recommend a SE and some haven’t, so I’m on the fence on how to approach it. I did not see any damaged bricks or cracks in the mortar joints above the lintel. The house was built in 1995. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
I’m looking for signs of deflection and distress in the brick veneer. Is there any cracking in the veneer over the opening? When the garage door is closed, you can sight along the seam lines as a straight edge (from the side at a shallow angle) which will show you if the lintel is sagging in the center. Also, look for signs of distress at the ends of the lintel and the brick below the ends (especially outside corners). I don’t have the full picture and I’m only looking at a picture, but I don’t see any of those indicators in this house.
What, I think I do see is: A rusting lintel; no indication of flashing at the lintel; no weep holes above the lintel; caulking on the lintel which shouldn’t be there.
These are common deficiencies but IMO reportable (they are not readily correctable, sometimes rusting lintels can fail over time - a long time typically). The lack of flashing, no weep holes, and calking along the front edge are all contributors to lintel corrosion. As the lintel corrodes the corrosion expands and will can create the kind of horizontal gap that you see. The exposed portion of the lintel can be cleaned and painted, but there’s no way to get to the top of the horizontal flange (where the brick rests), which is the most vulnerable surface.
Here is how I used to document some of this (feel free to use or adapt to your reporting style)
Steel lintels over windows and/or doors do not have flashing. Installation does not conform to current building standards.
(Ref: IRC Section R703.7.5 Flashing). Flashing shall be located beneath the first course of masonry above finished ground level above the foundation wall or slab and at other points of support, including structural floors, shelf angles and lintels when masonry veneers are designed in accordance with Section R703.7.
(Ref: IRC Section R703.8 Flashing) . Approved corrosion-resistant flashing shall be applied shingle-fashion in a manner to prevent entry of water into the wall cavity or penetration of water to the building structural framing components. Self-adhered membranes used as flashing shall comply with AAMA 711. The flashing shall extend to the surface of the exterior wall finish …
Steel lintels over windows and/or doors have not been painted or the paint is deficient. Unprotected lintels will rust and can expand causing cracks over windows and doors. Over time, corrosion can cause lintels to fail. Recommend wire brushing and painting all lintels with rust-resistant paint.
Chuck- There’s an area of homes in my coverage area that all seem to have varying degrees of garage lintel issues. Your response/feedback is exactly what I needed. Thank you for taking time out of your day to help a new guy.
You’re very welcome. BTW: properly flashed lintels were unusual (maybe 20-25%) on new constuction in my market. I was constantly writing them up at closing and warranty inspection time.
Even if we know the builder will not correct it, it provides the homeowner documentation that they notified the builder of a workmanship defect within the warranty period. If it fails later, they have a strong case to go back after the builder for repair under the 12 month warranty provision no matter how long after the failure occurs. Just because the builder declined to repair it, doesn’t get them off the hook later in court if the homeowner can prove the existence of the defect and notification to the builder during the warranty period.
Chuck, I see the same percentage on new/newer construction. However, I see just the opposite on old construction. It seems some new builders are just cutting costs.
Is it that Joe, or they don’t know any better on a certain amount of builders?
That’s interesting, because I’ll bet it dropped to about 5% on homes built before around 2005 (guestimate) in my market, including my own.
It could be a little of both.
Sounds about right, Chuck.
