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Can I notch a beam? DebraG 03-19-2007
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Posted by DebraG on March 19, 2007, 3:53 pm


I purchased an old "distressed" wood cabinet for my kitchen that is 8
feet long by 8 feet high. Lots of storage space!

Problem is, the ceiling beam runs 2 and 1/2 inches BELOW 8 feet! So,
something has to go. I can cut the cabinet down, but was thinking
maybe I could just notch the beam?

A. Would that affect the beam's load capacity too much? The beam is
11 feet long by 10 inches deep. (It was put there to replace a load
bearing wall 10 years ago) or

B. Would it just look too stupid to have the beam run through the
cabinet or is that ever done?


Thanks for the help!

Debra


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Posted by Srgnt Billko on March 19, 2007, 5:28 pm



>I purchased an old "distressed" wood cabinet for my kitchen that is 8
> feet long by 8 feet high. Lots of storage space!
>
> Problem is, the ceiling beam runs 2 and 1/2 inches BELOW 8 feet! So,
> something has to go. I can cut the cabinet down, but was thinking
> maybe I could just notch the beam?
>
> A. Would that affect the beam's load capacity too much? The beam is
> 11 feet long by 10 inches deep. (It was put there to replace a load
> bearing wall 10 years ago) or
>
> B. Would it just look too stupid to have the beam run through the
> cabinet or is that ever done?
>
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
> Debra
>

If this is on the ground floor of a 2 story house I might not do it. How
thick is the "beam" ? Personally I would notch out the cabinet and run the
beam through it as long as it doesn't interfere too much with doors. Stupid
? Nope - it will probably be a neat topic of converstaion with visiters.



Posted by on March 19, 2007, 5:51 pm



>You can not notch the beam. Reducing the height of a beam by two
>inches can cut it's strength in half ...

Not necesarily. That depends on the notch location, inter alia.

Nick


Posted by RicodJour on March 20, 2007, 2:11 am


nicksanspam@ece.villanova.edu wrote:
>
> >You can not notch the beam. Reducing the height of a beam by two
> >inches can cut it's strength in half ...
>
> Not necesarily. That depends on the notch location, inter alia.

Question: Do you understand the difference between can and will,
Nick?

Answer: Not necessarily.

R


Posted by Heathcliff on March 19, 2007, 6:25 pm


> I purchased an old "distressed" wood cabinet for my kitchen that is 8
> feet long by 8 feet high. Lots of storage space!
>
> Problem is, the ceiling beam runs 2 and 1/2 inches BELOW 8 feet! So,
> something has to go. I can cut the cabinet down, but was thinking
> maybe I could just notch the beam?
>
> A. Would that affect the beam's load capacity too much? The beam is
> 11 feet long by 10 inches deep. (It was put there to replace a load
> bearing wall 10 years ago) or
>
> B. Would it just look too stupid to have the beam run through the
> cabinet or is that ever done?
>
> Thanks for the help!
>
> Debra

The beam is load bearing, so before notching it you would have to
either have an engineer evaluate it or read up on beam capacity and be
pretty darn sure its OK. Trimming the cabinet is probably better.
Trimming the top might be preferable since that space way up there is
kinda less useful anyway. You could cut off just enough to make it
fit, or cut off another foot or foot-and-a-half and use the top as a
shelf to put seldom-used or decorative objects (i.e. things on the
cabinet rather than in it). Or you might be able to trim the bottom
of the cabinet instead of the top: does it stand on legs, or have a
skirt or toe-kick at the bottom? -- H


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