question about sagging beams?
I just bought a brick building in PS. We were told by our engineer that we would eventually need to get the main structural support beam replaced, as it’s sagging. However, we have been told by some contractors that if we remove the sagging that the plaster walls above could crack. Is this something other…
I just bought a brick building in PS. We were told by our engineer that we would eventually need to get the main structural support beam replaced, as it’s sagging. However, we have been told by some contractors that if we remove the sagging that the plaster walls above could crack. Is this something other people have done? Do we need to worry about it? The sag isn’t more than a couple inches at worst, but we just don’t want to start renovating our kitchen if we’re going to need to get the sagging fixed in the next few years anyway. We also don’t want to replace the beam if it isn’t necessary. Any thoughts?
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I have a similar problem and want to get estimates from a few contractors who have experience with replacing the basement center structural beam with steel. In my case, the original wood beam was in 2 pieces and one (the rear two thirds) is as perfect as the day the house was built, while the second piece (the front third) has twisted and slpintered significatntly. Any contractor recommendations are apprecitated.
If the plaster cracks, any door that is directly above the beam may need adjustment as well. Here is a simple test before you start: measure the door openings diagionaly then compare the numbers to see how far out of square they are. That will give you some idea of what to expect when you jack up the beam.
You can brace it with lolly columns, but you should also strengthen the beam. Steel is best as nothing will destroy it. A good time to do this is before a renovation. There shouldn’t be too many cracks unless you are planning to jack it up. We jacked up our house by about an inch or 2 and there were only a few cracks. It sounded pretty creepy though. Like that scene from “Carrie” when her house was about to fall down around her.
Can you brace it with lolly columns?
You shouldn’t mess with that. Find out why the beams are sagging and fix it. You don’t have to use steel — depends, you can use engineered wood but an engineer or knowledgeable contractor should tell you. The cracks are an annoyance but your house needs to be structurally supported. Lots of things happen — as Rick mentioned beams being cut into for plumbing (happened in my place) could do it or the removal at one time of a weight bearing wall.
I’ve worked on jobs that beams had to be replaced. I think you need to find out why the beam is sagging. Did a plumber cut too much out to make room for pipes? ( I bet they did ) I would replace it with metal if you can. Yes it is true that messing with the beam can cause some plaster to crack. However, it may crack anyway if you have more sagging in years to come. If many jacks are in place when you replace the beam, you shouldn’t have that much damage to your plaster. Good Luck!