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Torstensteffi10 May 2020 11:29Hello everyone, we are new here and currently have an issue with the ceiling and floor in two rooms situated one above the other. We wanted to renovate the ceiling and discovered that the joists were severely damaged by woodworm and need to be replaced. The floorboards upstairs were also in poor condition, so we decided to remove the entire ceiling and floor, exposing everything fully.
The structural engineer advised us to remove the old beams and replace them with glued laminated timber beams of the same thickness, using a rafter spacing of 60cm (24 inches), and then to install either tongue-and-groove boards or OSB panels as the floor. So far, so good.
However, the installers who are supposed to fit the glued laminated beams say they won’t install them because the beams would be too thin. They insist the beams should be 20cm (8 inches) high and 12cm (5 inches) wide, whereas the original solid wood beams measured 16cm x 16cm (6 inches x 6 inches). The wall-to-wall span is 4.70m (15 feet 5 inches).
The rooms were fully furnished and occupied before, and now I am uncertain how to proceed. The structural engineer insists that the specified beams are sufficient and that it is not possible from a construction standpoint to install larger ones.
The structural engineer advised us to remove the old beams and replace them with glued laminated timber beams of the same thickness, using a rafter spacing of 60cm (24 inches), and then to install either tongue-and-groove boards or OSB panels as the floor. So far, so good.
However, the installers who are supposed to fit the glued laminated beams say they won’t install them because the beams would be too thin. They insist the beams should be 20cm (8 inches) high and 12cm (5 inches) wide, whereas the original solid wood beams measured 16cm x 16cm (6 inches x 6 inches). The wall-to-wall span is 4.70m (15 feet 5 inches).
The rooms were fully furnished and occupied before, and now I am uncertain how to proceed. The structural engineer insists that the specified beams are sufficient and that it is not possible from a construction standpoint to install larger ones.
Vicky Pedia10 May 2020 16:56Well, the structural engineer is definitely the authority here. They have to take responsibility after all. But why glulam beams? I personally prefer solid wood, though someone has to cover the costs as well.
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Torstensteffi10 May 2020 18:02The structural engineer specified the glued laminated timber beam, arguing that it offers better load-bearing capacity and fewer vibrations. In terms of price, I couldn't really complain about the glued laminated timber beams; I paid €500 net for 16 pieces.
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Torstensteffi12 May 2020 10:11No one else has an opinion.
What type of glulam beams did you buy? 16 pieces for 500€ at 16x16 cm (6.3x6.3 inches) would be very cheap...
Regarding the rest, I can also imagine that the carpenters simply didn’t want to install your glued laminated beams. If you want a craftsman to do this kind of work, you should also allow them to use their own materials. As for the sizing of the glulam beams, what the structural engineer specifies in writing applies—that’s their responsibility, so it should be fine.
Regarding the rest, I can also imagine that the carpenters simply didn’t want to install your glued laminated beams. If you want a craftsman to do this kind of work, you should also allow them to use their own materials. As for the sizing of the glulam beams, what the structural engineer specifies in writing applies—that’s their responsibility, so it should be fine.
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Torstensteffi12 May 2020 10:41At the local timber supplier where we always buy, the material is industrial quality since it is not visible.
The company wanted me to procure the materials and only assist with the installation occasionally. However, I got the dimensions from the structural engineer, and the carpenter said that was too thin. He wouldn’t use them; they would need to be 20cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches) for him to install them.
The company wanted me to procure the materials and only assist with the installation occasionally. However, I got the dimensions from the structural engineer, and the carpenter said that was too thin. He wouldn’t use them; they would need to be 20cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches) for him to install them.
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