Short of cutting off a body part, the worst that can happen in woodworking is manufacturing really nice looking kindling. Instead of buying this LVL beam I built my own. Drill holes in the end of the board and bolt it down with the carriage bolts on both sides. Loft beam I will be storing misc. So most construction was done by carpenters who apprenticed to another carpenter, and used methods handed down by previous generations of carpenters. --- Quoted from. To get a good fit you put 7/16 OSB or plywood in the middle. Insert a carriage bolt into a washer. A double beam is simply two lengths of lumber that sandwich the top of a beam. Some long wood beams are actually made of engineered wood, which is mix of materials that includes wood. Ok heard everyone and I guess the LVL will have to be used. Built-up beams are boards nailed together. Make sure an architect or builder approves the size and layout of your wood beam. And the good carpenters built good houses, some of which are still standing. One major difference from a hundred years ago is that there were few if any building codes, and virtually no inspection of residential construction a hundred years ago. Based in Nashville, Shellie Braeuner has been writing articles since 1986 on topics including child rearing, entertainment, politics and home improvement. Had they been challenged I would have been in trouble. The beams are usually 8 inches wide so that holes for plumbing and electrical lines can be cut or drilled through the beams without destroying the structural integrity of the beam. My advice to you is to smile, and say "you got it sir, that's what I'll do, I appreciate your advice". Thanks. Butt the end of a 12-foot board against the end of the 4-foot board. there have been countless built up beams from conventional lumber used on houses for hundreds of years.. did the house still stand yes.. was it still level and straight hell no.. they sag under the live and dead loads.. lvl wont sag.. After you're told 11-7/8", you couldn't have at least used 2 x12's? Personally, I'd put the joint between OSB pieces closest to the end of the beam (so one 8 foot piece and on 18 inch piece). :smile: even 2x12's dont match the strenght of lvl, lvls are much stronger than regular wood. Building inspector is not happy. Whether the beam is strong enough for the span depends on the loading (what are you planning to store up there? So a built-up beam made from two 2x6's is actually just 3 inches wide. But what did we do before we had LVL beams? The further away from the two side supports the joint is (so the more in the middle the joint is), the more stress there will be on the joint. Thicker beams can give the added support. I have one wall 12 feet from one end and the other wall 10 feet from the other end. Then I used 3/4 in plywood and cut 12 1/2 inches wide and screwed this to the 2 X 10 and the 2 2 X 4 toe plates. You would think that making a monster beam with additional 2 X 12's or something would work. The two beams you can make out of 2-by-10 dimensional lumber are double beams and built-up beams. In the end he has the final say. The only exception would be if there was a specific provision in the code that specified a particular size beam for a specific application, which is pretty unusual. Instead of buying this LVL beam I built my own. Besides, screws are not allowed for in structural applications unless they are specified by and Engineer and are of the right type. If you're supposed to use a 4x6 timber, you might not be able to substitute a built-up beam made from two 2x6's. old growth wood doesnt even match it.. todays lumber is faster drying and not as strong or stable.. A forum community dedicated to Do it yourself-ers and home improvement enthusiasts. What else can I do to make my beam equal to a LVL he wanted? My building inspector would never specify a beam, that would suggest he was accepting responsibility for the design, which he would not do. The 2x8's are 9'6" long but the OSB is only 8' long. Decking screws don't cut it. Some of the inspectors can be real bears. Drill two holes through the end of both boards. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. JohnSt, I agree most of us have built our own beams at times and I know of a few that I put together that are monsters, but they had no certification. JavaScript is disabled. Joists and headers for doors are quite different, there are typically standard sizes for room types and spans in the code. I built my open house with openings large then this by using 2 X 10 's and lots of 3/4 inch plywood. What I have done is kept the 2 2 X 4 top plates, put in 2 2 X 10 with 1/2 inch plywood in the middle under the two toe plates, making the beam about 12 1/2 inches deep. Cut the board. Always use care when cutting or shaping wood with power tools. All screws are 3 inch screws and screwed from BOTH SIDES. Helping You to Do It Yourself! HELP IS NEEDED. And the bad carpenters built weak houses, virtually all of which are long gone from the planet. Some times we allow our pride to get in the way when making decisions to fight a battle. A forum community dedicated to Do it yourself-ers and home improvement enthusiasts.