Nick Ostrowski
12-08-2012, 10:37 AM
I saw this steel I beam in a townhome yesterday. The basement had so much storage I couldn't get as close to the ends of the beam as I would have liked. But one end appears to have some steel shims underneath and a wood block which will do nothing. It is not mortared in place. The other end is sort of mortared in place but based on the exposed end on top of the beam, it doesn't look like the beam can be bearing on much of anything but the wood stud wall beneath it, but I can't be sure due to the limited view I had to work with.
It looks like the builders got a beam that was too short and tried to make it work. I think the installation looks weak. Aren't these supposed to pocket into the foundation walls and have mortar installed around them? That's the type of installation I am used to seeing.
Any thoughts? There was no evidence of any movement of the beam on the finished walls areas in the basement or in the 1st or 2nd floor rooms. The unit was 16 years old.
It looks like the builders got a beam that was too short and tried to make it work. I think the installation looks weak. Aren't these supposed to pocket into the foundation walls and have mortar installed around them? That's the type of installation I am used to seeing.
Any thoughts? There was no evidence of any movement of the beam on the finished walls areas in the basement or in the 1st or 2nd floor rooms. The unit was 16 years old.