# Steel beam replacement



## BHI (Feb 6, 2008)

I have a house where the main basement beam is 4 2x6's laying flat on 10' span...needless to say the house has sagged everywhere..So we are pulling it out and replacing is with a steel I beam..The basment height is resticted and therefor i can not place fllor joist on top...I'm curious as to the best way to fasten the new 2x10 floor joists into the web of the beam.? While we are redoing the whole basement ceiling they requested to have a post relocated for a pool table..so the beam is a 12" web 1/2 plate and is 33' long. I've thought of getting the beam with channels welding in it already..
Thanks 

Ontario,canada


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## BuiltByMAC (Mar 11, 2006)

What about bolting a 2x10 to the side of the beam and nailing joist hangers to it? Hang your floor joists in the hangers...

Just a stab in the dark - I've never actually done that.

Mac


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

LVL's are a far better choice for
retro-fit than an I beam.
It's easier to slip 2 or three pieces
up into the slot where the joist 
are cut off, and still be tight enough
to fasten them.
Not to mention just lifting that chunk 
of iron instead of 2 or 3 LVL's.
Never did a retro with hung joist
*_on steel_* for that reason.
We did finish one with LVL that 
someone else started. 
They got the beam in the basement 
before they figured out it wouldn't work 
like they thought.
Very expensive scrap iron!

Make sure the pads are sized for 
the load when you move the columns. :thumbsup:


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## ch0mpie (Nov 30, 2005)

if you can't get lvl's or another wood product to work, what about a saddle hangers with wood filling in the web?


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## A W Smith (Oct 14, 2007)

BHI said:


> I have a house where the main basement beam is 4 2x6's laying flat on 10' span...needless to say the house has sagged everywhere..So we are pulling it out and replacing is with a steel I beam..The basment height is resticted and therefor i can not place fllor joist on top...I'm curious as to the best way to fasten the new 2x10 floor joists into the web of the beam.? While we are redoing the whole basement ceiling they requested to have a post relocated for a pool table..so the beam is a 12" web 1/2 plate and is 33' long. I've thought of getting the beam with channels welding in it already..
> Thanks
> 
> Ontario,canada


I did this once for a client that had 2x8 ceiling joists with bedrooms above but wanted a flush ceiling between their dining room and living room. My father in law (at the time) was a retired engineer and specified a steel beam with an additional plate welded to the bottom flange, I put the floors on temporary jacks with 4 x 6 beams and sleepers and cut through where they overlapped into an I section. then I slid the I beam in through the end at a wall opening. After the beam was in place I MIG welded pre drilled heavy straps to the steel flanges at every joist and nailed the joists in place with joist hangar nails.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Sounds complex, and expensive.
Nice solution though.
No issues with sub floor sitting on steel?

The idiots we followed "planned"
to leave the joist long enough
to use the bottom flange as
a ledger, and "tilt" the freaking
900lb beam into place between
them!


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## A W Smith (Oct 14, 2007)

actually it wasn't that bad. It was for a job that included an nice vaulted ceiling addition so the cost was built into the addition price. if i recall i only charged them about three grand for that part of the job. which included hand excavation through the slab for two footings and a pair of .250 wall 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 box tube columns. the house had no basement, it was a slab. I think it came in just under a 14 foot span. maybe 13. it was long time ago 17 years at least.. The hard part was finding the steel beam. I called all over the entire state one day to every steel supplier I could find in the yellow pages, I found a huge steel supplier in Bayonne NJ. I don't think they are there anymore. Yes the sub floor rests right on the top flange and the Sheetrock i had to patch a four foot wide strip in the center of the room right against the bottom flange. Luckily the existing sub floor didn't break at a seam right over the flange.


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## BHI (Feb 6, 2008)

BuiltByMAC said:


> What about bolting a 2x10 to the side of the beam and nailing joist hangers to it? Hang your floor joists in the hangers...
> 
> Just a stab in the dark - I've never actually done that.
> 
> Mac


Basically this is the one i was thinking of doing..i was hoping someone would come up with a simular awnser so that way i know i'm not completly lost on doing this.. bolting the plates on, and hanging joist hangers is the same as my solution, but i was then going to fill in the bottom space between the bottom of the floor joist and the lower beam flange.. that way the beam is also supposting as well as the hangers..
Thanks


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

BHI said:


> Basically this is the one i was thinking of doing..i was hoping someone would come up with a simular awnser so that way i know i'm not completly lost on doing this.. bolting the plates on, and hanging joist hangers is the same as my solution, but i was then going to fill in the bottom space between the bottom of the floor joist and the lower beam flange.. that way the beam is also supposting as well as the hangers..
> Thanks


You'll want whoever engineered 
the beam to give you the pattern
for the bolt holes.
Too many, or too close, and you
may wind up weakening the
web, and you don't want it
to be on you. :thumbsup:
I guess from the tone, you already
bought the steel?
Good luck!


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## BHI (Feb 6, 2008)

neolitic said:


> You'll want whoever engineered
> the beam to give you the pattern
> for the bolt holes.
> Too many, or too close, and you
> ...


I have not bought the steel as of yet, But i completly agree with you on that one..i'll let someone that has a stamp give me a hole pattern for it..Last thing i need is fix a faulty floor with a unstable piece of steel..
Thanks for everyones imput!!!


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## A W Smith (Oct 14, 2007)

*I know these suggestions sound stupid but.......*

be sure to supply the engineer with the existing joist layout. You don't want the bolt hole punch outs to align with your hangars. that would sure be a problem. Also don't slide both 2 x 10s in place along with your i beam or you will not be able to find the holes to drill through. Slide one side first drill it then the other side and drill through your other side. or you could drill all your lumber before you slide it in on a bench. Just don't mix up the sides or ends or put them in upside down. 


Captain Obvious

aka


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

BHI said:


> I have not bought the steel as of yet, But i completly agree with you on that one..i'll let someone that has a stamp give me a hole pattern for it..Last thing i need is fix a faulty floor with a unstable piece of steel..
> Thanks for everyones imput!!!


It's not too late to get a local
lumber yard/supplier to size some
LVL's for you!
Give them the span column to column,
joist span, # of floors above, roof
(bearing or not?), etc.
It would be good to have price to price.
Plus I swear you will like hoisting
3 or even 4 pieces of1¾" LVL
better than that I-beam!


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## BHI (Feb 6, 2008)

A W Smith it never hurts to hear suggestions.. the floor joists i am re working anyways, on top of the current floor joist they have 2x4's laying flat 16" o/c perpendicular to the 2x6 and 2x4 current floor joists. it is a really weird set up..and kinda scary it is still standing. How'd this ever pass?...but anyways i am going to leave the 2x4s and the sub floor and just put in new 2x10 12' o/c under the sub floor ...

neolitic- It would be nice to get a LVL in there..but i have a restricted height right now..and i was told the LVL for a 20' span 2 story is close to 15" i can not go over 12... So it might come down to a lot of grunt work and swearing when this monster comes in though the basement window:thumbup: can't wait!


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

BHI said:


> A W Smith it never hurts to hear suggestions.. the floor joists i am re working anyways, on top of the current floor joist they have 2x4's laying flat 16" o/c perpendicular to the 2x6 and 2x4 current floor joists. it is a really weird set up..and kinda scary it is still standing. How'd this ever pass?...but anyways i am going to leave the 2x4s and the sub floor and just put in new 2x10 12' o/c under the sub floor ...


:blink: That gives me a headache just *reading* it!
Good luck with that mess.



BHI said:


> neolitic- It would be nice to get a LVL in there..but i have a restricted height right now..and i was told the LVL for a 20' span 2 story is close to 15" i can not go over 12... So it might come down to a lot of grunt work and swearing when this monster comes in though the basement window:thumbup: can't wait!


Sometime two pieces 15" 
can be replaced with four
12", or something like.
Still not too late to check,
and it ain't gonna cost anything
to check it out.:thumbsup:
2¢
Have fun and let us know how
you come out.
Pix is always good fun. :clap::laughing:


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## Marcus W (Feb 19, 2008)

*Steel Ibeam*



BHI said:


> I have a house where the main basement beam is 4 2x6's laying flat on 10' span...needless to say the house has sagged everywhere..So we are pulling it out and replacing is with a steel I beam..The basment height is resticted and therefor i can not place fllor joist on top...I'm curious as to the best way to fasten the new 2x10 floor joists into the web of the beam.? While we are redoing the whole basement ceiling they requested to have a post relocated for a pool table..so the beam is a 12" web 1/2 plate and is 33' long. I've thought of getting the beam with channels welding in it already..
> Thanks
> 
> Ontario,canada


BHI THERES AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IN THE FRAMING THREADS DO A SEARCH FOR JOE CARULO, HE GAVE A WEBSITE FOR PACKED I-BEAMS .


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## Trimwerx (May 24, 2007)

In the past year, we've done 4 I-beam replacements and bolted 2x on both sides of the beam and joist hangers. Easy.


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## JWHI (Feb 28, 2008)

You would have to consult the steel company, but what about drilling holes through the vertical section of the beam and lagging 2x's on either side. Then you could hanger off of those.

I would recommend what someone else had stated and go with LVL's


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## al10fred1081 (Feb 9, 2008)

yep packed beam the way to go. I basically built one but its a lot easier to order it prebuilt. betterheader.com have fun manhandling that steel. had a good friend of mine take a helicopter ride to the hospital due to a helpers lapse in attention. thank god I wasn't on that job or he'd have been out of work for a month and been short one dumba$$ helper....

Alex


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