Hi we are currently building a summerhouse / bar using lightweight blocks. We bought reclamation windows and doors. Plan was to build a roof frame using 3x2 and osb panels. Question is " do we need concrete lintels or can I use old wooden beams we have?" Thanks for and advice
Structural engineer will calculate, cost should be about £150 per beam. The lintel required depends on the roof load (kN/m) and the opening span.
RogerK101, Sorry I wasnt clear in my answer. Osb. Then plan to paint the boards with bitchumin stype stuff (not researched that bit yet) then adding shed type roofing felt. Jimbo, we have some solid wood beams from the old wood shed that span a large enough space. Will they do the job ? Thanks both
You seem to be ok with false economies, as evidenced by the fact that you're willing to go to the trouble of creating a roof out of 3x2s + 11mm OSB + bitumen paint + shed roofing felt. Yes, they're cheap roofing materials but they're cheap for a reason. Yet, at the same time, you're going for a really expensive, labour intensive way of building the walls. Unless you got your lightweight building blocks 'off the back of a lorry', by the time you've laid a suitable foundation for them, built the walls with their openings, potentially with their wooden lintels, and then rendered the whole thing inside and out (because building blocks are not known for their aesthetic appeal), you've got a seriously over the top summer house base, and a seriously under the bottom summer house roof. But hey, to each his own. You don't mention what your weather exposure is or where in the country you are (e.g. wind loads and snow loads); nor do you give any indication of whether it's an apex roof, a pent roof, a double pitched roof, or a flat roof; nor do you give any idea of the spans involved. Yet you ask if 3x2s are up to the task. 3x2s are most certainly up to the task for a dog kennel, and even for a small garden shed, but definitely not for a summer house of unspecified size. You also don't mention what the spans of the openings are for which you want to use wooden lintels; nor what's going to be above those lintels. With all the open issues, are you sure you're up to the task?
I'm not a jobsworth so in my opinion you can use your wooden lintels over what ever span you have got and what ever loading they have to take, ignore snow loading cos we have global warming and don't climb on the roof and then we can also ignore any maintenance loading, 3 x 2 frame will be adequate as the OSB will hold them up. Good luck with your project.
Jesus ! You too clearly have to much time on your on your hands ! Strange how “sheds” and timber garden rooms don’t collapse in the snow. Strangely enough I managed to climb on the roof and felt it safely enough ! Wish I’d never asked for advice on here.
Roger assumed and jumped the gun a bit with his response in my opinion, but there's no need to be touchy, for the most part there's a lot of good advice on here, tempered with a fair bit of mick taking and banter.
And thats why I said ignore snow loading and obviously not withstanding any FoS your roof beams are of a size that can take 80kg live loading?
My apologies Severn Trent, as a veteran I get banter and didn’t mean to bite. The plasterer advised me to stick a couple of beams across to support which worked. All I need now is the doors fixed lol anyone around Tamworth that can do doors give me a shout. I need a new front door too :-/ Trent thanks