Expert: Dan Griffin - 5/29/2008

Question
I am finishing a basement and have a typical column (2-2x4s nailed with short 2x4's) holding up an are that includes the top of a staircase entering the basement. I would like to remove the column. The span is 12ft. Space is tight and was told that a fitch plate would do the trick.

Answer
You mean a FLITCH plate or flitch beam.  This a piece of steel plate sandwiched between girder or header lumber members that are drilled and through bolted in a staggered pattern usually with 1/2" bolts.  It is also possible to sandwich the exiting girder between 2 such plates and through bolt.  The drilling through 1/2" plate steel can be problematic.  A good place to get a bit smarter, click on the PDF link:
http://www.toolbase.org/Design-Construction-Guides/Exterior-Walls/flitch-plate-b...

You've really not given enough information to determine the loads and my advice would be to contact a structural engineer or very good builder that can see the situation first hand.  How many stories?  What is being carried by the girder?  Is this thing really a load bearing column?  A true column is usually steel or masonry in a basement condition.  I've seen large timber columns 6x8 or 8x8, but never 2x4 load bearing columns.  I can't get a good mental picture going for what iyou have.