geraldthehamster wrote:
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.

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