I have two glulam beams that run through one of the rooms on the ground floor of the house that have sagged over the years along with the ceiling (upstairs). I'm now considering addressing this by installing two new ones with larger dimensions.
Questions I have; how should I calculate the dimension of these?
Should I complement the existing ones or replace them?
Is it as simple as just replacing the existing ones, cutting larger holes in the walls, and installing the new ones? Or do I need to jack up the roof with jacks first, and if so, which ones should I use?
Last but not least - Can a DIY enthusiast (like me
handle such a task?
Grateful for input!
Questions I have; how should I calculate the dimension of these?
Should I complement the existing ones or replace them?
Is it as simple as just replacing the existing ones, cutting larger holes in the walls, and installing the new ones? Or do I need to jack up the roof with jacks first, and if so, which ones should I use?
Last but not least - Can a DIY enthusiast (like me
handle such a task?Grateful for input!
This program can be of assistance:
https://www.byggbeskrivningar.se/dimensionering/med-meny/
What is most relevant for deflection is of course the span of the beams, the load from the floor (including things placed on it, i.e., furniture, barbells, promissory notes and other heavy objects), as well as the dimensions of the beam.
Glulam has the characteristic that it deforms over time. The degree of deformation one can accept determines which beam you want. Sometimes you can accept that it bends a little, even if it never breaks.
If you have such a load that the beams bend down, I strongly advise you to brace it while you replace beams. It is fine to use, for example, 45x95 (possibly joining two together so that you get posts with about cc60cm and a temporary "syll" and "hammarband"). To lift the floor, you can use a garage jack, for instance. Remember that the beams themselves are very heavy and may require an extra jack.
The supports at each end must of course match the dimension so that you can attach them properly, but one can assume that if they have held up until now, they will hold up later as well. The load on these is the same, with the exception of the weight of the beams, which will be slightly higher.
https://www.byggbeskrivningar.se/dimensionering/med-meny/
What is most relevant for deflection is of course the span of the beams, the load from the floor (including things placed on it, i.e., furniture, barbells, promissory notes and other heavy objects), as well as the dimensions of the beam.
Glulam has the characteristic that it deforms over time. The degree of deformation one can accept determines which beam you want. Sometimes you can accept that it bends a little, even if it never breaks.
If you have such a load that the beams bend down, I strongly advise you to brace it while you replace beams. It is fine to use, for example, 45x95 (possibly joining two together so that you get posts with about cc60cm and a temporary "syll" and "hammarband"). To lift the floor, you can use a garage jack, for instance. Remember that the beams themselves are very heavy and may require an extra jack.
The supports at each end must of course match the dimension so that you can attach them properly, but one can assume that if they have held up until now, they will hold up later as well. The load on these is the same, with the exception of the weight of the beams, which will be slightly higher.
A larger proportion of long-term loads and more humid environments deteriorate the strength of wood structures and can lead to permanent deformations. Before you do anything at all, you should analyze why the existing beams are bending. The best solution is then to replace them with heavier dimensions. I guess that the existing ones are simply underdimensioned. Beams (primary beams) that in turn support floor joists (secondary beams) must be dimensioned considering the total effect on the entire floor structure. Here on the forum, you can get advice on appropriate measures and dimensions, but I recommend that you hire a designer before making any changes.