Expert: Dave Johnson - 9/24/2009

Question
I am adding on to my living room in a ranch style home. My living room is 16' long. Thus I will need to put in a 16' structural beam. I calculated the live load & roof dead load for a total of 1040 lbs/Lineal ft. My question is: Can I use LVL lumber for this job & it be 2*8, 2*10 & 2 or 3 wide bolted together? Or should I use a metal beam? Or am I way off base. Help! Thanks

Sorry,  there are trusses on 24 inch centers. The new room trusses will go the other direction. I am taking out a side wall, and the length & width of the home are 52 by 28 with 2 ft over hang. Outside walls are set on footings. New room will also have footings.


Answer
Hi Again,
O.K. You can do:
1) use lvl's or a microlam as you indicated (exposed)  or,
2) use the same beam, only bury them so as not to have them visible by doing the following.
      support the trusses as you remove the wall, cut the ends of the trusses flush with where the INSIDE of the wall was, install the beam so that the bottom of it is even with the bottom of the trusses. Then use heavy joist hangers to attach truss ends to the beam. the beam needs to be supported with 2 studs on both ends.

Oh, yes, the beam needs to be 4"x10" glue-lam or micro-lam. Your lumber yard will give you available sizes and also do the actual sizing.

Best of luck,
Dave