Wooden I-beams: technical nuances of construction technology. We make decorative beams on the ceiling with our own hands Making a beam from a board

Wood remains one of the most popular building materials to this day. It is used in the design of interiors in different styles - from classic to modern. With the help of wood, you can bring coziness to the room and add color to it. Wooden decorative elements do not lose their relevance, among them are:

frame structures;
lining surfaces;
imitation of beams on walls and ceilings.

However, it is not always permissible to use a real timber, in which case a full-fledged replacement can come to the rescue, which is the false beams.

Material for false beams

A false beam can be made of natural wood, but in this case the products will turn out to be quite expensive and will require maintenance during operation. This requirement will be relevant even if the material is well processed, because natural processes and constantly changing environmental conditions such as temperature changes, high humidity and poor ventilation can cause drying and the appearance of putrefactive formations. The structure can then simply collapse.

Artificial analogue

Not all rooms have load-bearing walls, and the ceiling is highly durable in order to use full-fledged wooden beams. In this case, a false beam is used, which is an analogue. This element can also be made from polyurethane, which guarantees durability, ease and ease of installation.

Plastic does not rot, does not require special care and does not burn. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain textures that almost do not differ from real wood. Such products most often have a hollow space inside, which makes them a decorative element and an excellent means of masking for ceiling communications. In addition, you can easily make a false beam yourself from foam plastic or drywall, the surface of these materials is pasted over with a special film in imitation of wood.

Making a false beam with your own hands

If you decide to create a structure from beams, you can use it during the work. In this case, the work will require the preparation of special tools. You will need carpentry supplies that every home craftsman can find in his arsenal. In addition to them, you should prepare:

edged boards;
grinder;
screwdriver;
a set of sandpaper;
carpenter's ax;
drill.

When you prepare edged boards, it is best to prefer old ones, but those that are reliable and high density. The grinder should have wire brushes of different hardness, this will allow you to process the material with high quality.

Work methodology

When a false beam is made, it should be borne in mind that it will form the basis of the box. It is necessary to select boards in such a way that the direction of the texture and pattern coincide. To obtain an inconspicuous joint, you need to assemble the structure in the shape of the letter P, using special bars for connection. The bar on the screws is fixed to the side boards; at the next stage, the junction should be smeared with glue and the crossbar should be fixed. On this we can assume that the design is completed.

To decorate the joint, the beams should be puttied and painted. quite often made in imitation of aged wood. To do this, use special techniques. With an ax on the surface of the product, you need to create chips and notches, without disregarding the corner. The depth of such notches should be insignificant, only in this way you will not violate the strength of the beam.

The next step is to use a stiff wire brush, which is pre-fixed on the grinder. With its help, the array should be processed so that fresh notches can be smoothed out and give them an aged look. The surface is processed with a grinding wheel. When a false beam is made of wood, it is necessary to clean cuts and dents from dust.

Material finishing

It will be possible to carry out these works with a soft wire brush. At this stage, we can assume that everything is smoothed and prepared for processing with stain and antiseptics.

Processing wood from the inside is also necessary, this will protect the material from the effects of insects and putrefactive formations. It is important to choose the right stain solution to bring the shade to the desired intensity. Only in this way the beam will look harmonious. The dried surface will become rough. If processed with fine-grained sandpaper by hand, then the base will be ready for applying varnish or other coating in the form of a patina.

Production of polyurethane beams

False polyurethane ceiling beams have also found their wide distribution today. They are cheap, light, easy to manufacture and attractive in appearance. An additional advantage is that you can make such products with your own hands. You can use the foam that remained after the repair, if you have insulated walls or other surfaces in the recent past.

An alternative solution would be to purchase this material in a hardware store. 5 cm sheets are perfect, which should first be cut into separate strips. If there are separate fragments of blanks available, then you can glue them together using PVA glue. At the next stage, you need to take a self-adhesive film, which is made in wood imitation.

You can buy it in the departments of wallpaper. When a false beam is made of polyurethane with your own hands, at the next stage it is necessary to paste over the product with a film from all sides. You should not try to glue it to the entire beam at once, first you need to cut it into separate fragments. In the end, such a combination will be invisible, but the work will be much easier to carry out.

If you want to achieve the perfect result, then it is better to glue with the help of a second person. At the installation stage, the beam must be fixed to one of the walls at the desired height. Next, markup should be done, focusing on the horizontal level. You can glue such beams on PVA glue. It is more convenient to use than liquid nails. However, the adhesive will not set immediately; it requires the support of products under pressure for some time. However, if the volume of glue applied is calculated correctly, then it is possible to wait for the glue to set within 3 minutes.

Which you will decorate should be installed using dowel-nails or self-tapping screws. To mask the joints, you will need overlays, and corner fasteners will allow you to decorate the corresponding nodes. For polyurethane products, profile elements should be prepared. The adhesive composition for this material usually contains toxins, so it is undesirable to be indoors while the mixture dries.

Plasterboard beams

Drywall is excellent as a material for the manufacture of false beams, in addition to it, you will need the following tools:

screwdriver or drill;
pencil;
sharp knife;
metallic profile;
drywall;
perforator;
hacksaw;
self-tapping screws;
dowels.

On the surface of the ceiling at the first stage, markings should be made for the installation of such products. Along the drawn line to the ceiling, suspensions are strengthened with dowels, and it is necessary to assemble the design of a decorative product from a metal profile. For sheathing the beams with a sharp knife, the sidewalls and the lower surface of the desired dimensions are cut out of the GKL. Drywall sheets should be screwed to the profile with self-tapping screws. At the final stage, it is necessary to process the beams with a primer and putty.

Conclusion

False beams can be quite expensive. Alternative solutions are beams made of other materials, such as drywall, polyurethane or old boards. This decor option is usually used when decorating a room in a country style. It is very popular with owners of suburban real estate and private houses in the city. Sometimes such elements perform not only the role of decorating the interior, but also have a functional purpose.

Such supporting elements are widely used in the construction industry, especially in the arrangement of various floors. There are several options for I-beams on sale, in the production of which "clean" wood and materials based on it are used. The average price is 230 rubles/r.m. - quite acceptable for most individual developers.

But there are a number of questions that suggest - is it not easier to make a wooden I-beam with your own hands? Firstly, there will be no problem with its transportation, and secondly, with fitting at the installation site. After all, you have to be content with only what the market offers.

How to organize an independent "production" of wooden I-beams, what to consider is the topic of the proposed article.

It is pointless to explain to the reader the individual nuances of the manufacture of I-beams. For example, how to make do-it-yourself grooves for installing racks. Each owner has his own tool (chain saw, cutters or other) and methodology.

But a few general remarks will not be superfluous:

Even for floors, the same I-beam should not be used. It is necessary to make an accurate calculation of the loads. Wooden beams have a small weight, but how much can they themselves withstand? Therefore, if the assembly is done by hand, then it is better to entrust the determination of the optimal parameters of the I-beam support to a professional.
All wood samples should be dried before starting the “construction”. It is still unknown where and under what conditions the material was stored before it was purchased. Failure to follow this recommendation may cause the mounted I-beam to deform after a while.

The concept of wood is general. What exactly is advisable to use when making I-beams with your own hands?

bar

Practice shows that it is better if it is glued (read about its characteristics and advantages here). Such blanks are the least susceptible to deformation. If you read various descriptions of finished products, then almost all manufacturers assure a potential buyer that their structure / material (along with other advantages) does not absorb liquids, therefore, does not swell or rot. Although even a person far from this sphere understands perfectly well that no matter how you process wood, it is impossible to completely eliminate moisture absorption.

The question of breed is also important. The author is not going to engage in agitation, but only suggests remembering how our ancestors built. The most problematic part of any log house is the lower crown. It had to be protected from moisture as much as possible. Therefore, larch was always taken for him. This tree, unlike other conifers, contains not just resin, but a special one. It gives the material unique properties. For example, when wet, wood only becomes stronger. Well, what exactly to use is at the discretion of the home master.

The practice of low-rise construction shows that the most used sizes of I-beams are as follows:

It remains to be added that the minimum allowable cross-section of the timber (mm) is 35 x 25. And this is only for the formwork. If you use such an I-beam as an overlap, then the blanks will have to be mounted as tightly as possible, and this is an increased consumption of wood. Therefore, the timber must be taken with a larger section.

Rack

There are two main options - from multilayer plywood or OSV. Although there are I-beams and other designs on sale, it is better to focus on these materials for manufacturing on your own. OSV is preferable, as they will provide greater strength and durability of the structure due to the special structural composition and production technology.

Glue

As a rule, few people pay attention to this. Although all adhesives differ from each other, including toxicity. This is what should be taken into account. When choosing a product, you need to familiarize yourself with its composition, especially if it is planned to install floors from I-beams in a residential building. The recommendation is simple - the less "chemistry", the better.

Features of the manufacture of an I-beam wooden beam

High-quality docking of all elements of an I-beam can be provided with sections of a channel of the same length. They are superimposed on the bars and pulled together with improvised clamps (rope, belts with carabiners, etc.), until the glue has completely hardened. And only after that, a wooden I-beam can be used to equip the ceiling.

The process of manufacturing supports from wood, as well as the choice of materials, is not particularly difficult. Do-it-yourself work saves both time and money. But this is justified only if the load calculations are carried out at a professional level. If you are not completely sure that you can do it yourself, it's not worth the risk. Flooring is a critical part of any structure, and no amount of savings can justify violating design parameters.

With the growth of individual construction, I-beams have become increasingly popular in the private sector. Their advantages are a separate topic, but one of the advantages of supports of this type is worth noting. Unlike metal counterparts, wood I-beams can be made by hand. How to do this is discussed in detail in this article.

The scope of wooden I-beams is not limited to the arrangement of floors. They are widely used in the construction of frame structures, installation of decking, partitions and formwork. Knowing the technology and a number of features of the industrial production of such products, it is possible to produce a sample of any standard size, for a specific use.

After all, to make an I-beam with your own hands means to solve a number of problems. First, with the transportation of overall products. Secondly, with fitting it in place, since purchased copies may not fit exactly.

The author immediately stipulates that it is completely pointless to delve into such details, how and how to sample wood to obtain grooves in the workpiece and a number of other nuances. Each owner has their own experience, capabilities and tools. Therefore, the emphasis is on the home technology for assembling I-beams, the full cycle of their manufacture with their own hands. Examples of factory reference samples are in the figure.

This is not all that the market offers, but the design features of I-beams and their main sizes are clear.

Material selection

Wooden beams - a generalized concept. For the manufacture of an I-beam, not only solid wood is used, but also products based on it (slab, sheet, puff, pressed, and so on).

Supporting parts of the beam

Bruce only. Due to the correct geometry, such blanks are one of the best choices for the production of I-beams. Another thing is what kind of beam? Since strength is of paramount importance for the support element, it is better to focus not on profiled blanks, but on glued ones. The difference between the two is well laid out here.

Separately, one should dwell on the type of tree. You can talk a lot on this topic, describing the pros and cons of a particular wood. The author recommends using larch or products that are made on its basis to assemble an I-beam.

Suffice it to recall that it was this tree that was always used for laying the lower crowns of log cabins. The reason is that by partially absorbing moisture, it becomes even stronger. Actually, what is required if you think about the reliability and durability of the support element.

beam post

If you assemble an I-beam with your own hands, then the best solution (although not the only one) is OSB boards or plywood sheets (multilayer). Here it is necessary to take into account what kind of overlap in question. If the load is insignificant, then you can get by with cheaper FC sheets. For the construction of massive structures, definitely - oriented strand boards, as they are much stronger.

Glue

The recommendation is simple - if we are talking about the installation of ceilings or other structural elements in a residential building, then when choosing an adhesive for wood, you should pay close attention to its component composition. The less toxic substances, the better. Such adhesives are marked with the ECO designation.

The procedure for manufacturing a wooden I-beam

It is understood that the materials are dried, rejected and ready for use.

planks

The most important technological stage. The durability of the I-beam and its ability to hold the calculated load depend on how accurately the marking is made. Even the slightest distortion of the wall will have the most negative consequences. Sampling of wood in a bar should be carried out strictly along the center line of the workpiece. This is taken into account when marking a wooden part for an I-beam. Moreover, regardless of the linear parameters of the bar.

A common question is - what is the depth of the groove in the timber? Here you need to focus on the dimensions of the wall. The recommended wood sampling is about 10% of the length of the I-beam.

Wall

Since it is installed in the grooves prepared in the beam, the corresponding edges of the sheet (plate) should be slightly hemmed.

Assembly of the I-beam

The manufacturing process itself, when everything is well organized, does not take much time.

Lubrication of grooves in the slats with glue.
Installation in the workpiece, which is the bottom, sheet or plate wall.
Overlay of a bar from above, a clamp and alignment.

Feature of work

It is necessary not only to achieve a snug fit of all parts of the I-beam, but also to avoid their distortion during the drying of the glue. To do this, use any hardware with the appropriate profile. You can take a ready-made channel according to the size of the strips, bend the sheet metal, giving it the desired shape. All that remains is to put these details on the assembled I-beam from below and above and fix it with clamps or wrap it with a rope like a cocoon.

It is better to entrust the calculation of the parameters of an I-beam depending on the load to a professional. It is not difficult to assemble it with your own hands, but only a specialist in this field can independently determine the necessary parameters (for example, thickness, width of blanks). Having saved on paying for his services, you can subsequently lose much more on major repairs.
Do not use products made according to a single template for different applications. Again, due to possible differences in ultimate load.
Purchased wood, even industrial drying, is characterized by a certain level of humidity. Before proceeding with the "design" of I-beams and their assembly with your own hands, the lumber should be kept for some time in conditions where they will additionally dry out. Otherwise, there is a risk that after installing the support element, it will lead, and with it the entire structure.
Productivity can be significantly increased if the work on the manufacture of I-beams is properly organized. Regardless of the size of the beams, they all have an identical design. Therefore, it is advisable to divide the preparation process into several stages. For example, cutting materials, grinding samples, their treatment with drugs (flame retardants, antiseptics), and so on. When performing the same type of operations, time savings are evident. In this case, the manufacture of one I-beam will take 15 minutes, no more.
The decision to use a board for the wall is not entirely correct. The materials recommended above from fragments of a tree (plywood, OSB) in the course of production are exposed to "hot" pressing. Hence, they are characterized by high density. But you can't say the same about wood. Therefore, when assembling an I-beam, the board is used extremely rarely - with a small height of the product, and then, if necessary. Moreover, only dense rocks are taken, and they are quite expensive. Yes, and their protection from moisture absorption will require more intensive processing. The conclusion is that such a decision is economically unjustified.

Actually, there is nothing complicated either at the stage of preparation or during the assembly of an I-beam with your own hands. If engineering calculations are made correctly, taking into account all the features of operation, then a home-made supporting element will turn out no worse than the factory one. And most importantly - exactly fit the installation site.

If you have heard about an innovative method of light, but at the same time, strong and reliable construction of unusual beams and are interested in it, then this article is just for you! Wooden I-beams, which have long been used abroad, are still a novelty in the domestic market, although they have much more advantages than any other material. And, the best part about all this is that it is absolutely possible to make them right at home using standard improvised tools. Are you building a house on your own? Then get acquainted with another technology that will make your life easier!

To get started, we suggest you watch an interesting video about the main characteristics of I-beams:

What is an I-beam, and what is the essence of the new construction technology?

I-beams are especially popular abroad: in Canada and European countries, and in Russia they are only gaining their popularity. And in some regions you can’t even find them for sale! Why? If world experience shows that such a building material is really of high quality and reliable, how did it happen that I-beams did not take a leading position in the domestic market?

The fact is that the true Russian soul of the master is accustomed to working with strong and reliable materials: massive, which are difficult to lift and which inspire respect by their very appearance.

And the ceiling has long been accustomed to build from durable large and heavy wooden beams or even solid logs, but certainly not from "cunning" innovative structures with a thin partition. And the fact that here reliability is provided by all the same laws of physics, without which neither construction nor architecture can be dispensed with, is another matter.

And until now, most Russian developers are ready to make floor beams even from metal, than from two planks and OSB. Although in fact, such beams have a number of advantages!

What is good about the Canadian floor construction method?

Let's look at all the advantages of I-beams as a material for building floors:

Benefit #1. Amazing strength

Thanks to such an ingenious design, rather fragile-looking beams turn out to be many times stronger and more reliable than ordinary ones. The upper part of the beam works in bending, and the lower part works in tension. Those. here we are not talking about one monolithic element, which has to take on both types of load at the same time:

Benefit #2. Precise geometry

The second very important point: the ideal geometry of the beams themselves. Even over time, they do not bend, do not twist, do not dry out and do not change their parameters. According to manufacturers, even after 100 years, such beams will behave the same as a year after construction.

What does it give? To begin with, a flawlessly smooth floor, on which it is easy to mount any floor covering, especially parquet and laminate. The fact is that when you are dealing with beams and ordinary wooden beams, you should know that, according to the standards, their deflection can reach 3 cm! And, believe me, even this is already noticeable: the floor will simply “walk” under your feet. And this will definitely not have a good effect on any floor covering (except for cheap linoleum, perhaps).

And this is normal: natural wood is a living material, and it tends to shrink, dry out, or, conversely, absorb moisture. But I-beams are already made of glued wood, using a particularly strong connecting compound, and they do not change their dimensions.

Benefit #3. Comfortable weight

The next important aspect: I-beams are light enough to lift one of them on their own, and therefore two ordinary workers can handle such work without any problems. What does it give?

Firstly, you will not need heavy equipment that will have to lift ordinary wooden or metal beams.

Secondly, work at height will become safer, because too heavy a beam will not fall on anyone's head.

Thirdly, the use of I-beams will save a lot on the foundation, because the load on it will already be an order of magnitude less. And, if we take into account that up to 50% of the construction budget usually goes to a reliable, strong foundation that can withstand not only walls, but no less heavy beams, then the savings are significant.

Benefit #4. Making at home

You can make I-beams yourself if you know what their parameters and connection nodes should be. And in the end, you will have not only confidence in the quality of the floor, but also a lot of saved budget.

Benefit #5 Practicality in insulation

And, finally, the last pleasant moment: I-beams are especially convenient for warming the interfloor ceiling and subsequent finishing of the ceiling:

The only unpleasant moment is that in Russia high-quality I-beams are supplied by a few companies, and if you buy them, it is important to be able to correctly consider all technological shortcomings. We are talking about the future overlap!

What parameters should be a wooden I-beam floor?

You are probably wondering why the I-beam is called that way? The fact is that it consists of two main elements that resemble the connected letters T. And the T-shaped beam, in turn, is called a brand. That's where this unusual name comes from.

What is such a beam in section? First of all, it is a blank made of OSB or plywood, which act as stiffeners. And for this, a groove of the desired shape is pre-milled in the beams. The height of the beam is obtained from 140 to 470 millimeters, and in practice it turns out to be quite rigid for deflection. If we talk about choosing a beam project for standard cottage construction with the most popular spans up to 6 m, a beam with a height of 302 mm will be the most profitable.

The very first in Russia began to produce Naskorov beams, and modern manufacturers still use their designations. They are divided into series depending on the thickness of the shelves: into thin beams and wide-shelf:

NJ Series Thin Edge Beams. These are beams with a thickness of 38 mm shelves. These are prepared for arranging the perimeter of the outer contour of the floor, where an opening is needed for a staircase or for other loaded places. They are single-layer and multi-layer.
Wide Flange Beams NJH and NJU Series. These are beams with a flange thickness of 64 mm or 89 mm, specifically for load-bearing spans. As you understand, in such places the load on the beams is the strongest.

Here's how the two series differ:

We note such an important point. On the Internet, you can often find a dangerous misconception according to which wooden I-beams are made: the calculation is made according to the old table of Naskorov beams. Although in fact at that time there were no SNiPs for I-beams, and this table assumed a snow load of about 90 kg / m, which correspond exactly to the Rostov region.

But today it is wrong to use such data, since you understand that the snow load can be much higher in the more northern regions of the Russian Federation. And therefore, be guided only by such a table, which has already been compiled by modern manufacturers:

Remember also that not all types of I-beams that are used in construction today are suitable for flooring. For example, I-beam formwork.

How to buy a quality I-beam for your home?

In the factory, I-beams are made from valuable coniferous wood: larch or pine. If you decide to purchase ready-made I-beams, we will give you a couple of valuable tips:

Point 1. Pay attention to the seam: a slight release of glue should be noticeable. This is fine.
Point 2. The cutout must be tapered throughout the shelf, and the OSB itself must be milled and inserted correctly.
Point 3. OSB should be stapled every half meter directly into the shelf. This helps maintain pressure until the adhesive has fully cured.
Point 4. You have the right to ask for a product quality certificate and see if the right type of adhesive is used - one that is approved for glued load-bearing structures.
Item 5. Check if the accompanying documentation contains a test report for beam samples, their technical specifications and issue number.

High-quality I-beams should look like this:

Here the secret lies in the fact that such beams are preliminarily well dried, while ordinary wood still contains a certain percentage of moisture. And the beam design itself makes it easy to cut holes in the ceiling for sewerage, gas and water ventilation, and in the conditions of building a private house or cottage, this is an important point.

As for the adhesive joint, we note that some Russian developers have long refused to order raw materials from smaller firms and are purchasing foreign I-beams, because. domestic production of I-beams and its final quality is not always encouraging. Yes, and there is little experience, Canadian technology is still too unusual and does not find a large number of followers in our country. That is why it is sometimes easier to make an I-beam wooden beam with your own hands - there is nothing complicated here. And we will tell you what and how.

How to make your own I-beam?

When you start to independently manufacture an overseas beam for building your house, it will take you about a day for the first sample, but on the second day the work will go much faster. Do everything according to the following step-by-step instructions:

Step 1 Purchase 12mm thick OSB sheets and cut them into equal pieces.
Step 2. Next, you will need boards in which you need to make a dovetail cutter in the middle of the board, about 12-14 mm deep.
Step 3 Pour special glue into the hole and insert the OSB sheet.
Step 4. To quickly dry the area, it is enough to use a heater.

The main thing at the same time, in no case should you purchase freshly sawn or dry boards, as they can behave unpredictably in the long term.

Calculate the height of the beam according to this principle:

For a sheet with dimensions of 2440 mm, the optimal beam spacing will be 305, 406, 488 and 610 mm.
For a sheet of 2500 mm, a rational step would be 312, 417 and 500 mm. But I-beams with a step of more than 6 meters are no longer used.

In the factory, I-beams are always milled so that their slot turns out to be narrowed down, as it were, and the OSB sheet is glued into the tensioned shelf. So the leaf and the tree fit most tightly.

For this, polyurethane or melamine glue is used, and the sheet itself is clamped with clamps and hammered in additionally at an angle of 45 degrees along the length every 20 cm. It takes no more than 2 hours for each such beam, and after 6 hours it can be installed:

Connect the beams to each other using special block inserts:

Here is a short video tutorial on how to insert a sheet into wood:

How to prepare beams for installation?

And finally, the most important stage! When making wooden I-beams for the construction of your house, long before their installation, you need to accurately calculate the voids in the ceilings - for the future laying of engineering communications. Of course, you will carry plumbing pipes, electrical cables and engineering systems. And here it is important to determine everything initially correctly in order to prevent weakening of the overlap later.

Drilling holes for communications

And now let's also come close to such an important issue as how to properly drill I-beams. The fact is that this must be done on the ground - before installation. And here it is important to follow all the rules, otherwise even small holes can weaken the beam along its entire length. Where exactly the through holes in the floor beams can be located depends on the technology by which they were produced.

So, for I-beams, the holes should be no more than 40 mm. They are allowed to be located almost anywhere between the tees, but only no closer than 150 mm to the end of the beam or support on the supporting element. Ideally, such holes will be located directly in the center relative to the shelves, and not above or below. And the maximum allowable hole diameter is 10 cm.

In addition, make sure that the distance between adjacent holes is 2 times the diameter of the largest of them.

Attachment points of beams with a wall

If you have prepared the beams correctly, you can safely proceed with their installation:

Here are the main knots for attaching I-beams to the wall:

Insert a heater into the finished floor made of wooden I-beams:

How to avoid dangerous mistakes in the process?

And now let's look at the main mistakes in the manufacture of such beams.

Mistake #1. Buying unprepared wood

If you undertake to make such a base for overlapping yourself, remember that in the factory, the beams are prepared using a special technology, using only calibrated dry material. This allows you to completely eliminate the occurrence of twisting of the beams by the so-called "helicopter", which often occurs when using conventional wooden beams and boards.

You will probably be interested to look at the process of factory manufacturing of such beams:

Mistake #2. Using the wrong adhesive

It is impossible to use epoxy resin to glue the elements of an I-beam. She has a rather weak adhesion specifically to wood, and you will have to wait a long time until it hardens. But polyurethane glue just fits well. Its main advantage is that it does not burn and at the same time is itself thermoactive. In simple terms, the higher the temperature, the stronger the product itself becomes.

And it certainly cannot be used as PVA glue, because it is absolutely not intended for use in such structures.

Mistake #3. Incorrect pairing of beams

It's about overspending beams. The fact is that, unlike ordinary wooden beams, I-beams are not overlapped. To fasten them, it is necessary to attach the beams end-to-end and secure with perforated plates. But not with perforated tape, the use of which will then lead to the overturning of the beam! Moreover, the place of installation of perforated plates is determined by precise engineering calculations.

Mistake #4. Using the wrong fasteners

Another popular mistake is attaching I-beams to the wall and sealing their place with mounting foam. But in fact, only special embedded elements can be used.

It is also impossible to use weak brackets, because after that it will no longer be possible to guarantee the bearing capacity of such an overlap and there is a risk of collapse of the entire structure.

I-beams are also not fastened with ordinary self-tapping screws. After all, the self-tapping screw itself is not a structural element, and it is not designed to withstand increased loads, and is used only for fastening light and non-bearing structures.

Pay attention to the size of the bracket, the sufficiency of its height. The ratio of the height of the bracket and the beam should tend to unity, that is, be almost the same. The smaller the bracket, the worse.

Mistake #5. Involvement of foreign elements

It is also wrong to use additional elements that were not provided for by the design. In fact, the standard I-beam mount is quite rigid, and there is no need to somehow fix it.

We have prepared an illustration for you that will help you deal with the most common installation errors of such beams:

Follow our advice - and you will succeed!

An I-beam, as a type of shaped steel, has been recognized as one of the strongest structural elements since its inception, which is why its use in construction and engineering is so common. Initially, the I-beam is made of low-alloy steel, sometimes carbon steel, but its strength is not provided by the material at all, but by a specific, thoughtful profile shape to the smallest detail.

Engineering features of an I-beam
I-beam wooden beam for ceiling
Production and dimensions of an I-beam made of wood
I-beam reinforced, lightweight, their advantages

Engineering features of an I-beam

using a wooden I-beam, you can simultaneously solve several problems at once

The use of an I-beam made of metal is determined by its dimensions and method of manufacture, but the range of use of that engineering element is extremely wide - from the construction of housing, to the fastening of mine tunnels, the construction of bridges, columns, even space launchers.

The I-beam has the highest bending, torsional and compressive strength, thanks to which it can withstand huge loads, both vertical and horizontal.

The huge possibilities of frame housing construction made it possible to organize the construction of inexpensive and reliable houses made entirely of wood and wood-based materials. But the I-beam found its place here too, though not in metal, but in wood. Practice and calculations have shown that an I-beam has a greater resistance to torsion than a rectangular or square beam, and besides, it saves expensive wood. But at the same time, the building remains the same environmentally friendly, and the I-beam wooden beam is light, durable and affordable.

I-beam wooden beam for ceiling

Wooden construction is becoming more popular year by year, and more and more often civil engineers use a wooden I-beam in development. It fits perfectly into the technical requirements for strength, and there are practically no equals to it in terms of lightness and stability. At least among natural materials. A wooden profile is used in many cases, but for a number of reasons the most popular are:

In principle, structurally, these types of beams differ little, the difference is only in size and, as a result, in the load received. I-beams for flooring have the largest cross section, since they have to withstand fairly high loads. The principle of manufacturing a shaped wooden power element is always the same, and now we will touch on some of the manufacturing features and technologies by which a wooden I-beam is made by hand.

Production and dimensions of an I-beam made of wood

A wooden I-beam is made on a completely different principle than a metal one, since metal I-beams are usually cast and only in rare cases have a welded structure. Wooden beams consist of three parts:

Each of these parts is made separately, and only then they are assembled into a single design. The wall can be either oriented strand board or plywood, and the slats can be made from glued laminated timber, from solid wood. Between themselves, the three elements are connected using a system of grooves, and fixed with glue.

To make an I-beam with your own hands or in production, several machines or multifunctional nozzles are used, depending on the size of the beam.

I-beam reinforced, lightweight, their advantages

A wooden I-beam has a lot of advantages over other load-bearing structures, primarily because it is devoid of such disadvantages of a wooden beam as torsion and deflection. No shrinkage or increased moisture content can affect the linear dimensions and shape of the finished product. Therefore, the floors will always be perfectly flat and without squeaks, and the roof structures are not subject to deformation.

In addition, from the point of view of the constructive feasibility of using wooden I-beams, it is worth noting their excellent adaptation to any communication networks, to any load, the main thing is to calculate everything correctly. The beam can be either reinforced if it has to withstand loads of a certain nature, or vice versa, lightweight, which will make it easy to manipulate the design parameters.

And this, in turn, will give an undoubted economic effect, in addition, the optimal calculation of the load and a reliable design. Therefore, using a wooden I-beam, you can simultaneously solve several problems at once, while saving a good amount.

Engineering features of an I-beam

The I-beam has the highest bending, torsional and compressive strength, thanks to which it can withstand huge loads, both vertical and horizontal.

I-beam wooden beam for ceiling

Wooden beam for formwork.
For the device of partitions and floors.

Production and dimensions of an I-beam made of wood

A wooden I-beam is made on a completely different principle than a metal one, since metal I-beams are usually cast and only in rare cases have a welded structure. Wooden beams consist of three parts:

Upper plank.
Bottom bar.
Walls.

To make an I-beam with your own hands or in production, several machines or multifunctional nozzles are used, depending on the size of the beam.

Milling machine. In production, a milling cutter is used to make grooves for fastening the wall (no more than 10% of the length of the beam), but at home, even a small circular saw or a hand-held circular saw is quite suitable for this purpose. The main thing is to choose a saw blade in accordance with the wall thickness.
Machine for cutting plywood or OSB boards. In addition to directly cutting the slab or plywood to size, it is necessary to make accurate cuts to the edge of the strip at an angle of 45 degrees.
Gluing unit. She applies glue to the bottom of the groove in the beam and to the wall. After that, the structure is assembled
Press for gluing. After assembly and gluing, the finished product is dried under pressure. Typically, under load, the I-beam spends about 5 minutes, depending on the type of glue.
With such an industrial assembly method, the I-beam wooden price of which, when assembled independently, is lower, it is produced with decent productivity, so large construction organizations are increasingly resorting not to making an I-beam on their own, but to buying a finished product. For private developers, of course, it is more profitable to assemble a wooden I-beam with their own hands.

I-beam reinforced, lightweight, their advantages

And, the best part about all this is that it is absolutely possible to make them right at home using standard improvised tools. Are you building a house on your own? Then get acquainted with another technology that will make your life easier!

To get started, we suggest you watch an interesting video about the main characteristics of I-beams:

What is an I-beam, and what is the essence of the new construction technology?

And until now, most Russian developers are ready to make floor beams even from metal, than from two planks and OSB. Although in fact, such beams have a number of advantages!

What is good about the Canadian floor construction method?

Let's look at all the advantages of I-beams as a material for building floors:

Benefit #1. Amazing strength

Benefit #2. Precise geometry

Benefit #3. Comfortable weight

The next important aspect: I-beams are light enough to lift one of them on their own, and therefore two ordinary workers can handle such work without any problems. What does it give?

Firstly, you will not need heavy equipment that will have to lift ordinary wooden or metal beams.

Secondly, work at height will become safer, because too heavy a beam will not fall on anyone's head.

Benefit #4. Making at home

Benefit #5 Practicality in insulation

And, finally, the last pleasant moment: I-beams are especially convenient for warming the interfloor ceiling and subsequent finishing of the ceiling:

What parameters should be a wooden I-beam floor?

NJ Series Thin Edge Beams. These are beams with a thickness of 38 mm shelves. These are prepared for arranging the perimeter of the outer contour of the floor, where an opening is needed for a staircase or for other loaded places. They are single-layer and multi-layer.
Wide Flange Beams NJH and NJU Series. These are beams with a flange thickness of 64 mm or 89 mm, specifically for load-bearing spans. As you understand, in such places the load on the beams is the strongest.

Here's how the two series differ:

Remember also that not all types of I-beams that are used in construction today are suitable for flooring. For example, I-beam formwork.

How to buy a quality I-beam for your home?

In the factory, I-beams are made from valuable coniferous wood: larch or pine. If you decide to purchase ready-made I-beams, we will give you a couple of valuable tips:

Point 1. Pay attention to the seam: a slight release of glue should be noticeable. This is fine.
Point 2. The cutout must be tapered throughout the shelf, and the OSB itself must be milled and inserted correctly.
Point 3. OSB should be stapled every half meter directly into the shelf. This helps maintain pressure until the adhesive has fully cured.
Point 4. You have the right to ask for a product quality certificate and see if the right type of adhesive is used - one that is approved for glued load-bearing structures.
Item 5. Check if the accompanying documentation contains a test report for beam samples, their technical specifications and issue number.

High-quality I-beams should look like this:

How to make your own I-beam?

Step 1 Purchase 12mm thick OSB sheets and cut them into equal pieces.
Step 2. Next, you will need boards in which you need to make a dovetail cutter in the middle of the board, about 12-14 mm deep.
Step 3 Pour special glue into the hole and insert the OSB sheet.
Step 4. To quickly dry the area, it is enough to use a heater.

The main thing at the same time, in no case should you purchase freshly sawn or dry boards, as they can behave unpredictably in the long term.

Calculate the height of the beam according to this principle:

For a sheet with dimensions of 2440 mm, the optimal beam spacing will be 305, 406, 488 and 610 mm.
For a sheet of 2500 mm, a rational step would be 312, 417 and 500 mm. But I-beams with a step of more than 6 meters are no longer used.

In the factory, I-beams are always milled so that their slot turns out to be narrowed down, as it were, and the OSB sheet is glued into the tensioned shelf. So the leaf and the tree fit most tightly.

Connect the beams to each other using special block inserts:

Here is a short video tutorial on how to insert a sheet into wood:

How to prepare beams for installation?

Drilling holes for communications

In addition, make sure that the distance between adjacent holes is 2 times the diameter of the largest of them.

Attachment points of beams with a wall

If you have prepared the beams correctly, you can safely proceed with their installation:

Here are the main knots for attaching I-beams to the wall:

Insert a heater into the finished floor made of wooden I-beams:

And now let's look at the main mistakes in the manufacture of such beams.

Mistake #1. Buying unprepared wood

You will probably be interested to look at the process of factory manufacturing of such beams:

Mistake #2. Using the wrong adhesive

And it certainly cannot be used as PVA glue, because it is absolutely not intended for use in such structures.

Mistake #3. Incorrect pairing of beams

Mistake #4. Using the wrong fasteners

Another popular mistake is attaching I-beams to the wall and sealing their place with mounting foam. But in fact, only special embedded elements can be used.

Mistake #5. Involvement of foreign elements

It is also wrong to use additional elements that were not provided for by the design. In fact, the standard I-beam mount is quite rigid, and there is no need to somehow fix it.

We have prepared an illustration for you that will help you deal with the most common installation errors of such beams:

Follow our advice - and you will succeed!

The possibility of unsupported overlapping of large areas greatly expands the architectural possibilities when designing a house. A positive solution to the beam issue allows you to "play" with the volume of rooms, install panoramic windows, build large halls. But if it is not difficult to block a distance of 3-4 meters with a “tree”, then which beams to use on a span of 5 m or more is already a difficult question.

Wooden floor beams - dimensions and loads

They made a wooden floor in a log house, and the floor is shaking, bending, the effect of a “trampoline” has appeared; we want to make wooden floor beams of 7 meters; you need to block the room with a length of 6.8 meters so as not to rest the logs on intermediate supports; what should be the floor beam for a span of 6 meters, a house made of timber; what to do if you want to make a free layout - such questions are often asked by members of the forum.

Maxinova FORUMHOUSE User

My house is about 10x10 meters. I “threw” wooden logs onto the ceiling, their length is 5 meters, the section is 200x50. The distance between the lags is 60 cm. During the operation of the floor, it turned out that when children run in one room and you stand in another, there is quite a strong vibration on the floor.

And this case is far from the only one.

elena555 FORUMHOUSE User

I can’t figure out which beams for interfloor ceilings are needed. My house is 12x12 meters, 2-storey. The first floor is made of aerated concrete, the second floor is attic, wooden, covered with a beam 6000x150x200mm, laid every 80 cm. When I walk on the second floor, I feel shaking.

Beams for long spans must withstand heavy loads, therefore, in order to build a strong and reliable wooden floor with a large span, they must be carefully calculated. First of all, it is necessary to understand what kind of load a wooden log of one or another section can withstand. And then think over, having determined the load for the floor beam, what kind of rough and finish flooring will need to be done; what will the ceiling be hemmed with; whether the floor will be a full-fledged living space or a non-residential attic above the garage.

Leo060147 FORUMHOUSE User

The load from the own weight of all structural elements of the floor. This includes the weight of beams, insulation, fasteners, flooring, ceiling, etc.
operating load. The operating load can be permanent or temporary.

When calculating the operating load, the mass of people, furniture, household appliances, etc. is taken into account. The load temporarily increases with the arrival of guests, noisy celebrations, rearrangement of furniture, if it is moved away from the walls to the center of the room.

Therefore, when calculating the operational load, it is necessary to think through everything - up to what furniture is planned to be installed, and whether there is a possibility of installing a sports simulator in the future, which also weighs far more than one kilogram.

For the load acting on wooden beams of a long floor, the following values \u200b\u200bare taken (for attic and interfloor floors):

Attic floor - 150 kg / sq.m. Where (according to SNiP 2.01.07-85), taking into account the safety factor - 50 kg / sq.m - this is the load from the floor's own weight, and 100 kg / sq.m - the standard load.

If it is planned to store things, materials and other household items in the attic, then the load is assumed to be 250 kg / sq.m.

For interfloor floors and ceilings of the attic floor, the total load is taken at the rate of 350-400 kg / sq.m.

Overlapping boards 200 by 50 and other running sizes

These are the beams on a span of 4 meters that are allowed by the regulations.

Most often, in the construction of wooden floors, boards and timber of the so-called running sizes are used: 50x150, 50x200, 100x150, etc. Such beams satisfy the standards ( after calculation), if it is planned to block the opening no more than four meters.

For overlapping with a length of 6 meters or more, the dimensions 50x150, 50x200, 100x150 are no longer suitable.

Wooden beam over 6 meters: subtleties

A beam for a span of 6 meters or more should not be made of timber and boards of running sizes.

You should remember the rule: the strength and rigidity of the floor to a greater extent depend on the height of the beam and, to a lesser extent, on its width.

A distributed and concentrated load acts on the floor beam. Therefore, wooden beams for large spans are not designed "end-to-end", but with a margin of strength and allowable deflection. This ensures normal and safe operation of the ceiling.

50x200 - overlap for an opening of 4 and 5 meters.

To calculate the load that the overlap will withstand, you must have the appropriate knowledge. In order not to delve into the strength of materials formulas (and this is definitely redundant when building a garage), it is enough for an ordinary developer to use online calculators for calculating wooden single-span beams.

Leo060147 FORUMHOUSE User

A self-builder is most often not a professional designer. All he wants to know is which beams need to be installed in the ceiling so that it meets the basic requirements for strength and reliability. This is what online calculators allow you to calculate.

These calculators are easy to use. To make calculations of the necessary values, it is enough to enter the dimensions of the lag and the length of the span, which they must cover.

Also, to simplify the task, you can use ready-made tables presented by the gurus of our forum with the nickname Roracotta.

Roracotta FORUMHOUSE User

I spent several evenings to make tables that even a novice builder will understand:

Table 1. It presents data that meet the minimum load requirements for the floors of the second floor - 147kg / sq.m.

Note: since the tables are based on American standards, and the dimensions of lumber overseas are somewhat different from the sections adopted in our country, the column highlighted in yellow should be used in the calculations.

Table 2. Here are the data on the average load for the floors of the first and second floors - 293 kg / sq.m.

Table 3. Here are the data for the calculated increased load of 365 kg / sq.m.

How to calculate the distance between I-beams

If you carefully read the tables presented above, it becomes clear that with an increase in the length of the span, first of all, it is necessary to increase the height of the log, and not its width.

Leo060147 FORUMHOUSE User

You can change the stiffness and strength of the lag upwards by increasing its height and making “shelves”. That is, a wooden I-beam is being made.

Independent production of a wooden glued beam

One solution for long span spans is the use of timber beams in the spans. Consider a span of 6 meters - which beams can withstand a large load.

According to the type of cross section, a long beam can be:

rectangular;
I-beam;
box-shaped.

There is no consensus among self-builders which section is better. If you do not take into account purchased products (prefabricated I-beams), then the simplicity of manufacturing in the "field conditions" comes first, without the use of expensive equipment and tooling.

Just Grandpa FORUMHOUSE User

If you look at the cross section of any metal I-beam, you can see that from 85% to 90% of the mass of the metal is concentrated in the "shelves". The bonding wall accounts for no more than 10-15% of the metal. This is done on the basis of calculation.

What board to use for beams

According to the strength of materials: the larger the section of the “shelves” and the further they are spaced from each other in height, the greater the load the I-beam will withstand. For a self-builder, the optimal technology for manufacturing an I-beam is a simple box-shaped design, where the upper and lower "shelves" are made of a board laid flat. (50x150mm, and the side walls are made of plywood with a thickness of 8-12 mm and a height of 350 to 400 mm (determined by calculation), etc.).

Plywood is nailed to the shelves or screwed with self-tapping screws (only not black, they do not cut) and must be glued.

If you install such an I-beam on a six-meter span in increments of 60 cm, then it will withstand a large load. Additionally, an I-beam for a ceiling of 6 meters can be laid with a heater.

Also, using a similar principle, you can connect two long boards, assembling them into a “package”, and then put them on top of each other on an edge (take boards at 150x50 or 200x50), as a result, the cross section of the beam will be 300x100 or 400x100 mm. The boards are planted on glue and pulled together with studs or planted on capercaillie / dowels. You can also screw or nail plywood to the side surfaces of such a beam, having previously lubricated it with glue.

Also interesting is the experience of a forum member under the nickname Taras174, who decided to independently make a glued I-beam to block a span of 8 meters.

For this, the forum member purchased OSB sheets 12 mm thick, cut them lengthwise into five equal parts. Then I bought a board 150x50 mm, 8 meters long. With a dovetail cutter, I chose a groove in the middle of the board with a depth of 12 mm and a width of 14 mm - so that a trapezoid with an extension downwards was obtained. OSB in grooves Taras174 glued with the help of polyester resin (epoxy), having previously “shooted” a strip of fiberglass 5 mm wide to the end of the plate with a stapler. This, according to the forum member, would strengthen the design. To speed up drying, the glued area was heated with a heater.

Taras174 FORUMHOUSE User

On the first beam, I trained "filled my hand." The second one was done in 1 business day. At a cost, taking into account all materials, I include a solid board of 8 meters, the cost of a beam is 2000 rubles. for 1 piece

Despite the positive experience, such a "squatter" did not escape several criticisms made by our experts. Namely.