Floor joist maximum spans

rmacinc · Aug 7, 2003

I would like to remove a steel support beam in my basement.
The girder is made up of 3 2x10 beams screwed together. It also has a 2x4 screwed to the bottom of each side that
is being used as a ledger for the floor joists which are spaced at 1 foot on center. The roof of the home is made up of a manufactured truss system. There is a long hallway wall that is directly above this girder. If I remove this beam it would make the span from the outside block wall to the interior 2x6 wall that the girder sits on 12ft. Can anyone tell me if that span would be to large? Thank You, First time poster.

SteveBausch · Aug 7, 2003

I think you need to edit your post to clarify the relationships.

Start at one extreme of the structure (the top?) and describe the progression of elements to the basement.

curvbridger · Aug 7, 2003

rmacinc,

You really need to hire a professional before you build (or demolish) to verify this, but for planning purposes...

Some clarification is needed:

What are the floor joists? Are they 2x8?
How far do the floor joists span?
Is the "steel support beam" actually a column or post?

According to the canadian wood council, an interior header, consisting of three 2x10s, supporting one story, will span between seven and ten feet, depending on the span of the joists. No luck here.

Another way of thinking about this - Why was this steel support beam installed in the first place? I wouldn't bet that it was unnecessary!!

You have several options:
1. Install 2 posts at 1/3 pts of the header and then remove the one at the center.
2. Replace the header with a stronger (and stiffer) one.
3. Add additional headers to reduce the span of the floor joists.

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Floor joist maximum spans

rmacinc

Structural

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SteveBausch

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curvbridger

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