Thanks for all your help John. Is there any way I can re-inforce the beam with steel instead of having to replace with a flitch beam? Would this beam be supported by the walls or just strapped to the existing one?
You could add a steel beam either under it to support it, or completely detached from it a little further up or down the rafters. If you sized that to take the full load then you could ignore the wood beam to all intents and purposes.
I suggested a flitch as that is the simplest way to go based on where you are starting from. The beam you have becomes half the flitch - all you would need to do it add another wood beam the same as the existing and a steel plate to the side of it and bolt them together. This may prove to be the least disruptive.
Any new beam ought to be supported on the wall ends unless you can show by calculation that the exiting wood end is strong enough in shear andbending at the interface with the wall.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.