Is my house support beam strong enough for the load?
Conflicting builder opinions and hidden framing details make it impossible to tell if a beam can safely handle a second story and roof. When mysterious wall gaps leave you unable to figure out what is actually supporting the structure, you are left stranded between contradicting professional advice and uncertain safety.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1asking for opinions on online forums
- 2consulting family members with contracting experience
- 3hiring a professional structural engineer for calculations
- 4hiring a builder or mason to inspect the wall
- 5using lime mortar instead of modern cement to allow old walls to breathe
- 6avoiding pouring concrete immediately to prevent trapping moisture
- 7hiring a local structural engineer
- 8pulling plans from local building authorities
- 9opening up drywall to inspect framing
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Was attempting some high arches. But if this is a structural beam, I'll change my plans. It's a truss roof, this is a 12' span going straight down the middle. Thoughts?”source ↗
“Naturally, this gap along the bottom of the wall looks concerning to me, it goes a good 12-18” back in places and I can’t actually figure out what is supporting it.”source ↗
“Does this look like a reasonable beam for an 18’ span supporting the second story and roof, or does anything stand out as concerning?”source ↗
“An Amish carpenter installed it, but my dad, who is a contractor, looked at it and doesn’t believe it’s adequate for the load.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Is a sagging DIY overhead structure safe to leave up?
- 4How to tell if a discounted house has major foundation damage
- 12Why do foundation repairs cost so much more than quoted?
- 5Is this brick crack structural or just cosmetic?
- 5What to do if your rental house has severe structural damage
- 7Do I need a structural engineer for a sagging floor beam?