Quote:
Originally Posted by Melkerson
If I understand you correctly, that would make more sense to me. With this method do the flitch plates rest on the posts?
Not sure. I'll see if I can figure it out. What effect does the answer have on the proposed solution
Well the replacement beam was going to hang down 4 inches (only way to get no change would have been to get the more expensive steel beam). We were OK with that. With the new plan it will only hang down 2 inches.
I think he did say something about deflection, but I didn't really understand it.
1. It doesn't really matter whether the flitch plates (or the added beam) rest on the posts. The purpose of either solution is to increase the rigidity in the center of the span.
2. If the joists butt up to the beam (using joist hangers on the beam to support them) then adding flitch plates would be more work than adding a beam underneath. If the joists rest on top of the beam then adding flitch plates is a very simple solution.
It's easy enough to tell; does the beam that's there now hang down below the rest of the ceiling or is it flush inside the ceiling?
3. .
4. Deflection is simply how much the floor would bounce up and down if you went into the room above and did the deed, or jumped up and down.
What they're saying is the beam is strong enough that you don't have to worry about the house falling down, but they are worried that if you jump up and down upstairs the floor will have a little bit of bounce.
They're going to eliminate the possible bounce by making the beam more rigid in the center where it's most susceptible to bowing under a heavy load. It doesn't matter if the new beam rests on the posts because if you went upstairs and jumped up and down near the end of the beam it's not going to bounce.