Callum wrote:

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

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.

this beam be supported by the walls or just strapped to the existing
one?

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.



--
Cheers,

John.

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