My client has a 12″ x 12″ beam that she’d like to move over about 5 feet to improve the living room space (right now the beam is sort of in the way when you walk into the space).
Is this something an engineer need to verify before anything gets done and are there any other solutions such as adding metal supports and completely removing the beam?
See attached photo and the beam is the second one from the door.
-bb
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Replies
Looks like you are talking about a post that appears to be supporting a beam. It's not possible to tell what the beam is carrying from a picture. You can't just remove the post or move it without knowing what weight and structure the beam is supporting. If the post and beam are merely decorative, moving the post may be OK but totally removing it could be a different story. If they are structural, the spacing of the posts is critical to proper support of the beam. If the beam is structural, it can be beefed up so the post can be moved or it can be replaced with a larger beam. Either would be an involved job.
Folks always talk about consulting an engineer but structural engineers that actually work in the residential field and would have experience in situations like yours are rare as hen's teeth. That doesn't mean that some engineers don't think they can figure anything out but those are the type you want to watch out for. You should consult with a timberframe contractor. Looking at the exposed portions of the joists showing in the ceiling and the stair opening that the beam runs along, I would guess the posts and beam are structural.
I assume you're talking about the vertical post, not the horizontal beam overhead.
Ignoring for a moment the issue of where joints might be in the beam, and what point loads may be overhead, the post can probably be moved maybe 4 feet to the left without totally upsetting the applecart. But if there's a joint in the beam above the post (very likely) or a point load above (hard to guess) then this can't (easily) be done. However, with some filch plates or such (kinda ugly, but could be covered with wood) you could maybe move the post a foot or two left.
Beyond that, likely the best approach would be to remove the overhead beam and replace with steel, or run a steel beam alongside the wood one, allowing the post to be completely removed. This would pretty much require an engineer (or, more properly "injunear" -- JunkHound doesn't know how to spell it).