OK, big universal beam, whack blocks into the web, clad with Fireline, then clad that with timber. Has anyone managed to do this with a result that looks like a timber beam, rather than a 1970s pub fitting, and if so, how did you go about it? I'm not interested in paying 25 quid a foot for a hollowed-out beam.
Regards Richard
I've got one I did at home which looks not bad - a short concrete beam though. I can't remember the exact details of how I clad it - probably used No More Nails? Looks like 6"x1" pine down the sides, then 4"x1" along the bottom, all stained dark. IIRC I put panel pins horizontally through into the 4x1 to prevent any gaps opening up. You can just see the joint between the timbers, but only barely, and because it's a very low ceiling.
Don't know what the Fireline's all about - is that a building regs thing to protect the beam? Is that why the job's so extraordinarily expensive?
David
Regards Richard
Sorry, I meant to add - this is a steel beam, not a concrete one. The Fireline board is a requirement to protect the steel from fire, to prevent it buckling and bringing the house down on the firemen.
Thanks for your comments.
Regards Richard
What are the dimensions? Once you get over 150mm width, the choices are limited. If you don't want vertical joins, it might pay to look at long, wide timber like Quebec Yellow or Obeche. Both are soft, and a bit bland looking, but remarkably stable. Also depends what colour you're aiming for, and how much trouble you're prepared to go to tracking down the timber.
External dimensions will end up being about 3800 x 250 x 150. Colour probably wants to be on the lighter side (pine or white oak). I have two issues really - three if you count cost ;-) The others are the availability of suytably-sized timber, and the method of joining it togther at the corners, so that it doesn't look like it's joined together at the corners.
Maybe I should buy one reclaimed beam, and an adze ...
Regards Richard
=================================== You could avoid a *corner* joint by using a piece of 2" x 2" (with rebate to suit beam) for the actual corner and then biscuit-joint boards to this for the sides and base.
Cic.
Or get a reclaimed beam run through a saw?
250 x 25 rules out ordinary pine. Parana is probably available but would be expensive (and look wrong IMO). I'd go for a sheet material with mitred edges. Sycamore's nice. One vertical join but....
Help me visualise that ;-) I suppose I could saw the beam lengthwise, cut each half to an L profile with a circular saw, and glue the halves back together. Or I'd need a very large router. How would you do it? Come to think of it, how do companies selling hollowed beams do it?
I'm only an Approximate Carpenter [1], this big stuff is a bit out of my experience.
Regards Richard
[1] "Measure once, cut twice, put a bit back"
I stand to be corrected but, I thought timber cladding of a suitable thickness was acceptable as providing fire resistance.
regards
Maybe whoever supplies the beams would sell you cladding strips.
You're probably right, but I expect it'd need to be quite thick. I'd guess at least an inch - on the basis that a friend wanted exposed ceiling rafters in the sitting room of his build, and had to over- specify by an inch, to allow for charring.
Using Fireline would allow you to use a thinner wooden cladding, which might be easier to source, and less expensive.
Regards Richard
OK but thinner cladding may be more prone to warping as it gets used to your central heating.
We went down this route in disguising an RSJ holding up some exposed beams in our re-build.
The builder used a HILTI gun to secure the cladding to the lower flange. I suppose if visible joins were a concern, it might be necessary to
*acclimatise* the cladding before finishing off.regards
What did you clad it with?
Regards Richard
1" pine. Bear in mind, this was 15 years ago.
regards
Has it aged well? I've had really cheap blond-looking mirror frames mature to a nice golden brown after a few years in the morning sun.
Regards Richard
Not much sun reaching my ceiling:-)
A quick look in filament lighting shows orange/brown with a 1mm gap along the joins. Actually, after 15 years, I can't remember if I dosed it with antique pine colourant.
regards
Not a colour that really goes with today's fashionable pale wood shades. Heavy bleaching helps kill the orange though.
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