I'm planning on removing a beam from by basment.

Currently all it's doing it splitting a 13' 10" span in half for the
2x8 floor joists 16" o.c. above. What I'd like to do is sister on 2 x
10's to each joist to span the distance. This meets spec for L/480
(code is 360) but I'm wondering if the floor will feel bouncy.

Any ideas? It's way overbuilt now and feels really solid. I'm not
sure what L/480 feels like... any opinions?

wrote:
I'm planning on removing a beam from by basment.

Currently all it's doing it splitting a 13' 10" span in half for the
2x8 floor joists 16" o.c. above. What I'd like to do is sister on 2 x
10's to each joist to span the distance. This meets spec for L/480
(code is 360) but I'm wondering if the floor will feel bouncy.

Any ideas? It's way overbuilt now and feels really solid. I'm not
sure what L/480 feels like... any opinions?

1/480 is substantially stiffer than 1/360. I'm not sure where you got
your numbers, or what species and grade of wood you're basing it on,
but going by your number it _might_ be okay - but I have doubts about
what information you're leaving out.

You haven't provided information on what's on the first floor, whether
there are any bearing walls on the second floor, etc. Without this
information there is no way of answering your question.

You can use this online tool to calculate _simple_ spans:
http://www.cwc.ca/design/tools/calcs/SpanCalc_2002/

R

Yellow pages - structural engineers. A few dollars well spent.

Yup. I'd be real cautious just removing a beam without being real
certain why it was there in the first place. Questions I'd ask myself:
Is there a load above this? Perhaps a column or load bearing wall from
the floor above? Or was there a hot-tub, or massive fish tank? Is this
beam original, or was it added on?

It is also strange that you are asking about how "bouncy" the floor
might be when you yourself provide the exact, numerical answer to your
own question.

There aren't any loads on the beam other than the floor above. It
essentially runs down the centerline of the family room above. I have
a structural engineer redesigning a lot of stuff for me right now. We
talked about removing the beam, and said it would more than meet code.

But code can allow for some harry construction.... I didn't want to end
up with a bouncy floor at the end of the
remodel.

I ran the span numbers using

http://www.awc.org/calculators/span/...calcstyle.asp?

the existing joists were all #2 Hem-Fir.

wrote:
There aren't any loads on the beam other than the floor above. It
essentially runs down the centerline of the family room above. I have
a structural engineer redesigning a lot of stuff for me right now. We
talked about removing the beam, and said it would more than meet code.

Why are you asking here if you're already paying a professional and he
gave you his assurances?

R

RicodJour wrote:
wrote:

There aren't any loads on the beam other than the floor above. It
essentially runs down the centerline of the family room above. I have
a structural engineer redesigning a lot of stuff for me right now. We
talked about removing the beam, and said it would more than meet code.


Why are you asking here if you're already paying a professional and he
gave you his assurances?

R


AMUN is his structural engineer. matt should be afraid. Very afraid.

--
WARNING:

Do NOT under any circumstances take advice from an idiot named AMUN.

AMUN is a clueless moron regarding tile, electrical and various other
construction issues. As things go AMUN will (thankfully) dissapear
as his kind usually does when confronted with their bad advice by
those who are knowledgeable in their respective fields.
Until then - BEWARE