Crack in middle of support beam

5/25/2021 at 2:16:05 PM

This is a serious alert that should be inspected asap. you should hire a structural engineer for inspection and recommendation.

5/25/2021 at 2:18:14 PM

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5/25/2021 at 8:50:14 PM

Sagging and cracked beam needs to be attended to ASAP. Obviously it is over spanned and undersized. Get this looked at now. Not tomorrow. This is a structural problem. A delay to fix can cause more problems and expense.

5/25/2021 at 9:19:21 PM

That is an issue you should deal with emediatly. Could be the beam is to small for the span. Call an engineer and let them have a look.

5/25/2021 at 11:48:28 PM

You haven't mentioned the age of the home. If this is an older home it's common for settlement cracks to occur over time. I have a '60s home with a much larger crack in the ceiling beneath a flush beam between the living & dining room. I've owned the home for 25 years and it's only slightly worsened; it's mostly an eyesore that impacts value but not something repairable or worth having an engineer look at.

Often cracks will develop as a result of movement of the foundation; pad or strip footings moving disproportionately from perimeter footings due to settlement and/or seasonal moisture activity in the soils beneath.

If you're planning to repair this or have someone look at it you may wish to remove the drywall to see if there are any splices or other concerns with the beam. If there is point loading above this is something that requires an engineered solution (not covered by the span tables in the Code).

If you were to replace the beam it would be worth considering using LVL (engineered) lumber over dimension lumber. In Alberta the lumber suppliers can do the design work for LVLs using engineered software.