Need advise on supporting a engineered beam. 5 7/16″ X 9 1/4″. Specd by manufacturer for the 11′ 7″ span as adequate. Drawing up sketch for town inspector.
Beam will replace a 2×4 load bearing wall. Wall to be eliminated and beam to be flush with ceiling height. Beam will carry floor joists on joist hangers across the span. Plan on cutting a 5 1/4″ wide notch to slide beam in, support joists with hangers.
On one end of beam there is a perpendicular wall where I can use a , 2×4’s 4×4’s, even a 4×6 to support the beam. There is enough room for studs to extend across the entire 5 7/16″ width. Fit inside the perpendicular 2 x 4 wall.
On the other end of the beam, however, the exiting 2 x 4 wall continues since I am not opening up the entire span of the room.
The questions are:
1. Is it acceptable to support the beam with 2 x 4’s or 4×4’s ? There would be a beam “overhang” on both sides of the studs when I center the new beams width off of the exisiting wall.
2. What do you recomend for studs on other side where I have more flexibility, 3 – 2 x4’s or a 2×4 + a 4×4 or just 1 – 4×6?
Replies
What happens at the point where the beam enters the existing wall. The beam is wider than the wall so won't it overhang the sides?
Oops. Just re-read and saw that the beam is above the ceiling. Well, at the in-line-with-the-wall end I would probably build a support as wide as the beam, and trim it out like a column. Use a stack of three 2x6 ... that would give full width bearing, and 4-1/2" deep.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
So no "overhang"? Trying to avoid triming out. How about a steel column with a top plate spanning entire width of beam?
First you should check with your local code enf. officer.
the proper support columns may be specified in tables incorporated into the code.
for the end where the beam will end over the existing wall, you can simply extend it over the remaining wall far enough to get the right no. of studs under it.
As for the other end, you may end up without enough bearing area for wood studs depending on the load.
this may be resolved using a metel bearing plate to spread the load onto the appropriate no. of studs, or by using a mnufactured column.
as for 2x4 vs. 4x4, I would go with multiple 2x4's as they are usually avilable in a better grade that will give a stronger "post".
Also make sure you have a solid bearing at the BOTTOM of these posts!!
The Load path should be carried all the way to a footer.
Mr T
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yes. I have a permit. Trying to sketch it out properly. Make everyone's job easier. Also, want to make sure I am using best approach. I think current towns inspector is good, but in my previous town, guy was not good. He approved some stuff that in retrospect I have learned was not best approach.
What about overhang question. Do I need to support entire span of beam? Width of beam is wider than 2x4 wall. How about a steel column with a top plate? trying to avoid trimming out. Willing to use watever PROPER appraoch avoids trimming out.
Load will be over the block foundation on one end, and directly over a beam that runns span of basement, supported every 7 feet by a steel column.
Njlou, there is no hard-and-fast rule about whether the whole width of the beam needs to be supported. It depends on the amount of weight on the beam. For a beam that size you usually want at least 2 jack studs under it, which provides 16.5 square inches of bearing. (3) 2x4's provide about the same amount of bearing, if the 2x4's are centered on the beam.
If there is a lot of weight on the beam, a steel column can be a good idea, but LVL and LSL columns are very strong too.
As has been said here before, the proper thing to do is run it by an engineer who can tell you exactly what to do.
Mike
Yeah, what are you bearing on below?