Hi, we have some craftsmen at our house who installed underfloor heating today, and afterwards I noticed that they cut away about 10x10 cm in a load-bearing beam on the ground floor. Now I'm wondering, since I don't know anything about it, if this is okay or if it risks the load-bearing capacity?
Attaching pictures.
Attaching pictures.
It might be okay. There could also be a risk of significant settlements. Do you have pictures from a greater distance? Drawings? Or a sketch of where this is done.
Also important is how much of the beam is left.
Also important is how much of the beam is left.
It is never OK to do that. Individuals without the right competence should not make openings in load-bearing structures at all. Openings in beams should take the form of round holes in an appropriate place and with suitable diameter depending on the conditions. I would prefer to see the entire floor plan before commenting on the extent and consequences of the damage. My guess is that the beam needs to be restored. They are definitely liable for damages.
The dimensions of beams are usually carefully selected, so cutting away such a large piece means a considerable weakening.
https://www.traguiden.se/konstrukti...al-och-urtag-i-limtra/hal-och-urtag-i-limtra/
https://www.traguiden.se/konstrukti...al-och-urtag-i-limtra/hal-och-urtag-i-limtra/
Thank you so much for your help. As a layman myself, I thought it was oddly done, so I wanted to double-check it before I contacted my construction contractor, I'm feeling moderately pleased right now.
Is it possible to restore it somehow or does the entire beam need to be replaced?
Attached are our floor plans.
I will also send an email to KA.
Is it possible to restore it somehow or does the entire beam need to be replaced?
Attached are our floor plans.
I will also send an email to KA.
The drawings show that it is the cross walls that are load-bearing, which is somewhat unusual. The damaged beam must be replaced, which should not be impossible considering it is not very long. No holes should be made in such short beams. Instead, one should work around the problems.
Hi, thanks for the response. The beam seems to go from outer wall to outer wall, so it should be 7.3m then, can they usually be longer?J justusandersson said:
I spoke with the project manager at the contractor and he will look at it tomorrow and tell us how they plan to resolve it. He seems to believe they can stabilize it with plywood and something with metal, I didn't quite catch that over the phone. He will leave a proposal tomorrow, so we'll see what he says then.
I thought we had safeguarded against such mistakes by checking the company's ratings online, all of which have been very good, and they were recommended by someone we know who had them for a similar extension
If you follow the blueprint, the beam is not that long. Accept nothing but a replacement. The notch also seems to be near a support. The technical expertise is usually found among the leading people in the company. It's important to be able to communicate it to those who are going to do the job as well.
Thanks for all the help.
Called Götenehus who built the house and got help from one of their designers, the max load after the cut was now at 104%, which meant that if we have a party upstairs and everyone stands in the corridor, there's a risk it could break. However, he said they've been quite conservative in their calculations. So, fortunately, we only need to do proper reinforcement. Happy about that, otherwise, they would have needed to take down our entire ventilation system, etc.
As I said, big thanks for all the feedback, I also scolded my project manager about the whole thing and said this execution is unacceptable. He claims that the craftsmen made the decision themselves without consulting anyone and they did it for aesthetic reasons. I guess they won’t be making any more foolish decisions like this.
Big kudos to Götenehus as well, who are always pleasant and available for questions even though it has been several years since they built our house. If anyone is considering them as a house supplier, I can only say that we are super happy with them and all the contact we’ve had. I think I've gotten help from them at least five times during our extension, everything from where they bought the materials 7 years ago to getting drawings, energy declarations, market studies, etc.
Called Götenehus who built the house and got help from one of their designers, the max load after the cut was now at 104%, which meant that if we have a party upstairs and everyone stands in the corridor, there's a risk it could break. However, he said they've been quite conservative in their calculations. So, fortunately, we only need to do proper reinforcement. Happy about that, otherwise, they would have needed to take down our entire ventilation system, etc.
As I said, big thanks for all the feedback, I also scolded my project manager about the whole thing and said this execution is unacceptable. He claims that the craftsmen made the decision themselves without consulting anyone and they did it for aesthetic reasons. I guess they won’t be making any more foolish decisions like this.
Big kudos to Götenehus as well, who are always pleasant and available for questions even though it has been several years since they built our house. If anyone is considering them as a house supplier, I can only say that we are super happy with them and all the contact we’ve had. I think I've gotten help from them at least five times during our extension, everything from where they bought the materials 7 years ago to getting drawings, energy declarations, market studies, etc.