Steel vs LVL beams to replace a load bearing wall?
Feb 04, 2007 by bluzsuz | Posted in Decorating & Remodeling
we are renovating the territory floor of a 3 story house built ca.1835 and we want to open up the space by removing a load mien wall that runs the width of the house down the centre. The house is 40' x 24' we would be putting the beam in the 24'. Any ideas as to costs? What is bettor - steel or LVL? Any input is appreciated.
Foreordained the age of the house and the liability you're assuming, the investment of a call to your nearest school of architecture to get a qualified opinion is well usefulness it. I wouldn't leave that kind of question to an anonymous board where anyone can pretend to be anything without any way for you to verify it. Go for a real au fait who won't cost you an arm and a leg...an architecture professor with undeniable qualifications.
GenevievesMom | Feb 04, 2007
The evaluation of steel is way up. Price of lumber is at a 5 year low. Most joist and beam companies will quote LVL. They should be cheaper, easier to dispatch etc.
Better? Doesn't matter if it is engineered to handle the load. Material cost will be minimal compared to the camp.
nlitend1 | Feb 04, 2007
Foreordained the age of the house and the liability you're assuming, the investment of a call to your nearest school of architecture to get a qualified opinion is well merit it. I wouldn't leave that kind of question to an anonymous board where anyone can pretend to be anything without any way for you to verify it. Go for a real whiz who won't cost you an arm and a leg...an architecture professor with undeniable qualifications.
GenevievesMom | Feb 04, 2007
You'll privation a structural engineer to calculate what you will need. There is no way safe to calculate the load of the two top stories and what you will need for a bearing integument beneath the carrying beam. One or two stories would be easy to ball park a figure.Steel will be cheaper than an LVL..At a guestimate I'd say you will need a 16"x8"x1/2" web.If this house has it's old plaster it weights a whole group. Do you have a friend who is an engineer?? Lucky if you do....
buzzwaltz | Feb 04, 2007
How do I determine the size/strength of load-bearing beams, LVL or steel?
Oct 20, 2008 by likeaflint | Posted in Engineering
I dearth to span 36' with as much head-space as possible. I also plan on installing 1 or 2 posts underneath (whichever would be too bad for the chosen beam).
you shortage to check in with your city or county codes and they should have a span, load, and spacing chart for what you need.
ͼͽ~Safireyez~ͼͽ | Oct 21, 2008
best way to lift an lvl beam?
Jan 06, 2009 by Christian | Posted in Do It Yourself (DIY)
Anyone have any suggestions on the easiest way to upgrade a 17' (4 ply) LVL beam into place. 2 guys - average size. We can probably lift it together but if there's an easier way I would lady-love to know about it. The beam will weigh about 300# which isn't insanely heavy - but its not light.
We were looking at using some mould of jack setup but it seemed too unstable and wasn't efficient in raising the beam to the hight it needs to be.
In most, not all, cases, the gleam doesn't need to be all together when put in place.
I suggest installing one at a time, then nail and bolt together.
buggy61 | Jan 06, 2009
how many inches of wood can be used between the pier and LVL Beam? Construction Question?
Oct 15, 2006 by jp0_aat_1pam | Posted in Do It Yourself (DIY)
12 INCHES MAX
Houston M | Oct 15, 2006
Kitchen Demo Round 2
It was another big weekend for move! We started with a late-night Friday Home Depot run for lumber for the structural changes and plumbing armaments for the tankless install next weekend. Saturday morning we made an early dump run to clear out last week’s debris and then went to trade. We pulled up the majority of the old flooring in the kitchen and the laundry room. We cut out the old linoleum and subfloor plywood and removed them together in elephantine pieces.
Before tearing down the load bearing wall, we supported the overlapping ceiling joists with two temporary walls on either side. We cast-off a floor jack to hoist the ceiling just enough to take the load off the central wall and added jacks stands. With 10 jack stands and additional 2×4s lawful in-case, we moved on to the non-load bearing walls that separated the dining room, kitchen, and laundry office. We were able to recycle the 2×4s studs by cutting them out, instead of demolishing them with the sledge. In perfect we were able to save and reuse about 40 2×4s! With all three walls gone, we added new attic supports to redistribute the weight from the roof onto the ceiling joists to prevent any roof sag.
Sunday we finished up the remaining demo and started the preparation for the new LVL bar. We cut holes in the subfloor where the new 4×8 posts will stand and determined the location for the concrete footings. Under the put up we dug 2′x2′x15″ holes and poured new concrete footings around a metal support bracket. We found a fragrant method to mix concrete in a large tarp by lifting each corner and rolling and flipping it over itself. Thanks YouTube! We then acclimated to the tarp to lower the concrete down through the subfloor and pour into the footings.
Next weekend we’ll be ready to cut the joists and set up the new LVL beams along with the new tankless water heater!
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Stanley 42-324-24IN I-BEAM LVL 
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