Walls and Ceilings - Load bearing beam or decorative?

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Seerialmom
08-19-03, 06:23 PM
How can I tell if this very rough piece of timber framing the opening of my living room entrance is "load bearing" or just a 70's fad? (If I remember right these houses also came with gold veined mirrors or cork tiles on the entry walls). The beam is about 10"x3"x12' . It appears to be "resting" on hidden posts within the walls at either end.

I suppose I could take it out and see if the ceiling falls down? ;)

chfite
08-19-03, 09:17 PM
Tap on the beam. If it sounds hollow, it probably is decorative. Seems a bit on the small side to be structural. This is not a definitive test of structural support devices.

If you cannot tell on your own, you would be better off to call a contractor or structural engineer to be sure.

Hope this helps.
Seerialmom
08-19-03, 09:49 PM
Thanks for the idea. I may whip out my digital picture capable camcorder and take a few pics for my website; it'd probably give a better idea of what it is, too.



Originally posted by chfite
Tap on the beam. If it sounds hollow, it probably is decorative. Seems a bit on the small side to be structural. This is not a definitive test of structural support devices.

If you cannot tell on your own, you would be better off to call a contractor or structural engineer to be sure.

Hope this helps.