How to Make a Beam for a Supporting Wall

Wooden beams add strength to open support walls.

Load bearing support walls carry the load of the building above them and cannot be removed without potentially serious damage to the structural integrity of your home. Beams are installed across the top of a space formerly occupied by a support wall, so that the wall can be safely removed and the space can be opened up for use as a doorway, etc. The process of making a beam for a supporting wall requires some carpentry skill, a few basic tools and a helper or two.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 2-by-12 inch pressure treated lumber
• Pencil
• Circular saw
• 1/2-inch plywood
• Straight edge
• Construction adhesive
• Hammer
• 3-inch nails
• Work gloves
• Eye goggles

Instructions

1. Measure the distance between the two ends of your support wall. Stretch your tape measure between the jack stud at either end of the wall. This will indicate the required length of your beam.

2. Cut a piece of 2-by-12 inch pressure treated lumber to the measurement you have taken. Use your tape measure and pencil to mark the wood and use your circular saw to make the cut. Use this cut beam as a guide and mark a second 2-by-12 to the same length. Use your circular saw to cut this piece as well.

3. Cut a piece of 1/2-inch plywood to the same size as the 2-by-12's you cut in Step 2. Use your tape measure, pencil and straight edge to mark the wood, and use your circular saw to make the cuts.

4. Lay one of your 2-by-12's flat side down on the floor. Apply construction adhesive to one side of the plywood you cut in Step 3. Lay the plywood, glue-side down onto the 2-by-12. Apply construction adhesive to the other side of the plywood and lay the remaining 2-by-12 onto it. Use your hammer and nails to fasten the three pieces together by driving nails through the pile from both sides.

Tips & Warnings

• The 1/2-inch plywood spacer is used to ensure that the beam is equal in size to the studs which will be installed around and beneath it inside the wall. A 2-by-4 inch stud is actually 1 1/2-by-3 1/2 inches in size. Your 2-by-12's are actually 1 1/2-by-11 1/2 inches in size. When you add the two pieces of 2-by-12 and the 1/2-inch thickness of the plywood, you get a total of 3 1/2 inches, equal to the width of a 2-by-4.

• Use caution when working with dangerous tools like saws, hammers and nails. Serious injury can occur. Wear work gloves and eye goggles for protection.

References

• Family Handyman: How to Install a Load Bearing Beam
• Ask the Builder: Modifying a Load Bearing Wall
• Danny Lipford: How to Remove a Load Bearing Wall
• This Old House: How to Remove a Load Bearing Wall