Replies

1. 
   calvin | Dec 17, 2012 11:52am | #1

   Tango

   The checks in that beam sure look like those one would find in wood that was milled then dried.  Not so much from being in a moisture high area.

   If they shrunk in size after framing (as would be the norm for green wood), then that could have led to the misfitting doors and drywall cracks.  Another possibility is that the beam was undersized in the beginning and did not handle the load put on it.

   You should take all your load information, along with the unsupported span that you'll need to a real lumberyard that can send the information to an engineered lumber manufacturer to have it spec'd.

   Could steel be in your future?

   Perhaps bolted together LVL's that might be easier to handle getting down there.

   Moisture issues in the crawl should be taken care of instead of placing something that might be able to handle it.

   Best of luck.

2. 
   calvin | Dec 17, 2012 12:28pm | #2

   tango

   A lumber mill might be apt to try to sell you something that might work.  If they can do the engineering on your spans and load, then fine.

   Most independant lumber Yards are hooked up to the services of the various engineered lumber producers (LVL's, glu lams, truss joists, and even steel beam suppliers.

   With only 5'- between piers (assumed on footings) that weren't added later (after the shrink and sink that might have caused the cracks and door misfits, I'd be surprised if there might not be a problem below the beams.

   Footings, yes?

3. 
   sapwood | Dec 17, 2012 01:07pm | #3

   Those horizontal cracks in the beam are not uncommon and do not necessarily indicate that anything is wrong with it. Engineers expect that such conditions will occur and take that into account when calculating beam size. A 6x6 is not a very strong section. It's 6" width does not make up for it's limited 6" depth. Is the beam deflecting? You can stretch a stringline adjacent to it to check, or simply "eyeball" it. The string will allow you to measure and thus quantify the deflection. A laser would be better than a string. 

   Moisture in the crawlspace is not the cause of the beam cracking. Forget using that contractor. 

   You will need to provide a lot more information to get any meaningful analysis of this situation. For instance: what is being supported by the beam? Does it carry any load bearing walls? Are there any other issues that might be causing your walls to crack and doors to stick? Is there a noticible bounce to the floor?

   Hire an architect or designer to help you analyze this situation. Then hire a contractor to implement any needed modifications. 

4. 
   BossHog | Dec 17, 2012 05:40pm | #4

   I'm with Calvin in thinking that LVL beams would be easier to cut and hget down there.

   If you go to a lumberyard with the information about the beams they can pass it along to their LVL supplier, and they can come up with a solution.

   Keep in mind that LVLs can be ripped down if the height is limited. (And the design is approved by the manufacturer)  i.e. if a 4 ply LVL 6.5" deep works, you could buy some 14" LVL stock and rip it down.

   But don't do that unless they design it that way.

5. 
   DanH | Dec 17, 2012 06:37pm | #5

   I don't see any sense in replacing the beams if they're supported every 5 feet and there's no evidence of deflection.  The cracks you see are "normal", pretty much.

   It's not that unusual for a 29-year-old house to have a few doors that don't fit and a few cracks in the drywall.  Unless the foundation was really overbuilt you're going to get some modest differential settling, and it only takes 1/4" or so difference to begin to cause problems.

   I'd say just jack up any low spots, add piers as needed, and call it good.

6. 
   EngRetiree | Dec 18, 2012 12:22pm | #6

   Bearing Beam

   Several things point to possible settlement of the 5' o.c. support piers.  The vapor barrier was probably put in place due to a high water table or surface water under the house.  Moist soil, especially clay soil, has less bearing capacity than the same soil when dry.  Check the beams to see if they are sagging between end supports by pulling a string line taught along the side of the beam.  Or hold a torpedo level against the bottom of the beam at points along its length to see if it dips toward the center.  If the piers have settled, the ideal solution would be to determine the actual dead loads and estimate the potential live loads, determine the bearing capacity of the existing soil (difficult to accurately estimate without extensive sampling and testing) and then build large enough footings to handle the load.  It is probably cheaper to forgo the expense of extensive soil testing and just replace the existing pier footings with larger ones - 3 to 4 times the area of the originals.  Jack the beam up until it is level and/or the second floor doors are back to normal and shim the pier posts.

1. 
   calvin | Dec 18, 2012 01:45pm | #8

   eng

   A torpedo level and extensive soil sampling are at opposite extremes.

   I would trust my 16" stabila on one of my 6' straight edges.

   And come on, replace a 2x2 footer with something 6x6?   Yikes, it's a crawl for gods sake.

   Now, if you think there is no footer and the block are on undisturbed soil, then ok.

7. 
   sapwood | Dec 18, 2012 01:13pm | #7

   Any problems lie elsewhere

   If the beams in question are not deflecting then they are not your problem. The second floor wonky doors are being distorted by something else or, more likely, everything all at once. Like Dan wrote, its an older home, some things just happen. 

   A couple of more points to address things posted by others: torpedo levels are useless in determining any of the issues we are discussing. It's just too short to adequetely reflect general deflection or settlement. You need a builders level, a water level, or best of all... a laser. An inexpensive one that throws a vertical or horizontal line will be very handy. Also, wet earth in the crawl space does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong. The earth in my crawl is always wet because I live in an area of active subsurface springs. The water is just traveling downhill and is just below (or on) the surface. A heavy poly vapor barrier in the crawl keeps the water where it belongs. There is no mold. It sounds to me like your house is similar. 

8. 
   Tangodip | Dec 19, 2012 12:24pm | #9

   Excellent discussion and suggestions.

   The current update is that I have had two foundation experts look at the timbers and piles.  One used laser alignment, the other string and 6 foot bubble level.  Both have confirmed that the piles are good and the beams are straight.

   However one wanted to replace the cracked beams.  I called a lumber mill that specialized in pressurized beams and they suggested that the longitudinal cracks only become a concern if they are wider than 1/8th of an inch (they are less than this).

   I suggested the internal wall framing on the first and second floor may not be stout enough, and one pro suggested getting a carpenter to look it over. 

   So, thats the current thinking today. 

   Thanks again,

   Tango