i want to box in my i beam to look similar to my in process ceiling. Ceiling is 2x4 frame skinned with white coated hardboard. Want to keepthe air hose and extension cord reels mounted there as well.
Whats the easiest and simplest way to do it? Glue a 2x12 to the bottom? No ideas now otherwise, or in the year ive been thinking about it....
Paint it the ceiling color and be happy you have that beam, It Could come in Handy one Day.
In reply to GTXVette :
That was my original plan. However, in the 12 years ive been here, ive never used it for a thing. Other than a place to clamp the air hose and extension cord reels.
My plan is to use it as a display shelf after boxing .
I agree with painting it and hanging a hoist trolley to it, but if you're dead set on boxing it:
In reply to Ian F :
Why have I not been able to come up with that simple solution for two years now? That is definitely the Easy Button.
I would just paint it gloss white; if you box it in the trolley hoist you are going to install can't be used.
A trolley hoist is one of my dream tools.
A trolley hoist isn't practical with the beam due to shop layout. The beam is dead center of the shop, between the two doors. To use a trolley hoist, id need a 7 foot long car, turned sideways to get the engine out.....
To be honest, we never used the trolley hoist for engines - not really flexible enough compared to a common engine hoist. What we did use it a lot for was for loading and unloading heavy stuff from the bed of a pick-up. However, that does require the beam to be perpendicular to the garage doors. Oddly enough, we did use an overhead hoist to unload an engine from the side-door of my minivan at the engine shop last year.
White Rustoleum - just brush it on. If you get the spray cans you have to do a lot of masking of the surroundings.
But damn - a trolley hoist would cool to have -
a trolley hoist is worthless if the beam doesn't go over the area you need to lift stuff.
Otherwise another idea for boxing it would be to drill a few holes in the bottom of the beam and run lag bolt down into the 2x12 from the top. It would only take a few (like one lag bolt every 16 inches) lag bolts to really solidly hold the 2x12 up. Nice thing about having a 2x12 underneath is it gives you something really easy to mount things too if you need to go that direction in the future.
Wouldn't drilling holes in the beam make it weaker and possibly make my house unsafe? I had that idea in the past but was hesitant to drill holes in structure
Dusterbd13-michael said:Wouldn't drilling holes in the beam make it weaker and possibly make my house unsafe? I had that idea in the past but was hesitant to drill holes in structure
I'm not a structural engineer, but you're only drilling holes in the bottom of the two horizontal parts, while most of the strength comes from the vertical part. and only a few small holes at that. If that is the straw that breaks the camels back your beam is horrendously undersized currently. Have you ever drilled a hold in a stud on a load bearing wall? This seems similar.
I wouldn't be worried about it.
Think of them as speed holes
Robbie said:I'm not a structural engineer, but you're only drilling holes in the bottom of the two horizontal parts, while most of the strength comes from the vertical part.
I know that seems logical, but it’s actually incorrect. The majority of the strength does not come from web (the vertical part).
The strength comes from the flanges (horizontal part), and HOW they are welded to the web. While the top flange is trying to compress, the bottom flange is trying to stretch. It’s the interaction of the 2 flanges that gives the strength. The further the flanges are from each other (tall web), the more exaggerated the stretching/ compression. THAT’s where the strength comes from.
The building code is full of guidelines for size and placement of holes in the WEB. It generally does not allow holes or notches in the flange. Damaging a flange in the field means it is time to call the engineer for a repair design, or tear a beam out of a finished building.
However, Duster you are perfectly safe. You are not going to compromise that beam in any way that matters.
In reply to Robbie :
It probably would be ok, but I wouldn't drill any holes Bellow the nuetral axis of the beam. The beam should be sized with a generous safety factor but sometimes they aren't. If you drill into the bottom of the I beam you remove some area that is under tension. This reduces the load capacity of the beam and depending on the area removed could be substantial.
In reply to SVreX :
Interesting! all this learning.
SVreX said:Robbie said:I'm not a structural engineer, but you're only drilling holes in the bottom of the two horizontal parts, while most of the strength comes from the vertical part.
I know that seems logical, but it’s actually incorrect. The majority of the strength does not come from web (the vertical part).
The strength comes from the flanges (horizontal part), and HOW they are welded to the web. While the top flange is trying to compress, the bottom flange is trying to stretch. It’s the interaction of the 2 flanges that gives the strength. The further the flanges are from each other (tall web), the more exaggerated the stretching/ compression. THAT’s where the strength comes from.
The building code is full of guidelines for size and placement of holes in the WEB. It generally does not allow holes or notches in the flange. Damaging a flange in the field means it is time to call the engineer for a repair design, or tear a beam out of a finished building.
However, Duster you are perfectly safe. You are not going to compromise that beam in any way that matters.
How does that relate to house posts put under I-Beams? Technically they are supposed to be bolted in aren't they?
In reply to AWSX1686 :
but the post holds the beam up, so there would be the least bending there. Or, opposite bending really.
In reply to AWSX1686 :
There are probably lots of long answers, but let’s just say they are designed to be there.
That’s different than field drilling a hole.
So, a 5/16 hole every 24 inches on either side of the horizontal lower plate t the outside edges won't be an issue?
House is a modular. That beam is directly under the mating halves, and my bedroom.
Funny, I am about to unbox mine in my garage. They look akward and even an extra 1/2'' of clearance will be welcome, as will a trolley. If you were local I would just bring you premade sections.
Threadjack: where does one find these trolleys?
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
You are probably fine, but if it’s bugging you there is another way...
Put a cleat on the ceiling on either side of the beam. Then put plywood sides attached to the cleats, and a 2x12 bottom (attached to the plywood).
Then wrap the wood box with drywall.
You’d have your 2x12 bottom, with zero attachments to the beam.
For a smaller build out you could use metal studs and cut and bend a tab for the top and bottom and then shoot them into beam. If you are going to attach any framing to the beam I would recommend a powder actuated gun. Trying to drill a beam is a major PITA, then factor in tight spaces and upside down it makes it even worse. Something like this...
You might be able to get away with a .022 Cal. if you are using metal and depending on the thickness of the steel you are driving into. Make sure you wear ear plugs and warm people in the house, or not... Your call
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