I recently hired a contractor to remove a wall. The span 16 ft. The wall is not bearing load other than brick from the second story. The joists used above are 16 in web joists. Anyhow, the contractor quoted a 3.5 in LVL. However, at the end of the day, he has installed two 2x12s with a piece of plywood sandwiched between them. Should I be concerned about a structural issue? Also, what’s the rough cost difference? From a little research, it looks like the 2×12 is about a third of the cost of the LVL. Thanks in advance.
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yes you have a structural problem. a double 2x12 cannot span 18'.
I was wrong. Its actually 16 ft, not 18 ft. I'll edit my post to eliminate confusion. Still got a problem though?
I would say so. You need more info about what kind of load the beam is supporting to design the beam. Attached PDF show most scenarios dont come close 16'
2-2x12's are about 1/3 as strong as 3.5"x11-7/8" LVL... so yes, you should probably be concerned.
You are using a wood beam to support brick?
How much brick?
There's a 16 in web joist spanning 20ft above the 2x12s that the contractor is saying is supporting the load and that the 2x12s aren't even needed. The brick is about 12 ft at it's highest point.
Do you have any photos?
Why would he quote an LVL then install lumber, especially without consulting you? That's a red flag to me. Did he pull a permit?
The PDF that Graham78 shows is for Bearing Walls, so those tables may not apply.
You don't provide the grade and specie of 2x12 lumber - that would be beneficial to an engineer like myself to help evaluate it. I would also want to see pics of the actual installation and the structure above that this header needs to support. If the load is truly minimal it may prove adequate BUT deflection may govern more than strength would govern. What is below the dbl 2x12? A window, door, etc.?
Tim_William: I'd bet it's a "Supply Chain" excuse.