jeff oakley Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 A bit random but I know we have a few people well versed in building work so looking for advice. I have a double garage with two doors and a nine inch pillar in the centre. The roof is a tiled and is pyramid shaped. Across the front the roof is supported by two 9x3 timbers which are in one piece. if I remove the centre pillar will they be likely to be okay or can they be reinforced in some way or is it a rip out and replace with an RSJ. The council cannot decide if it will need PP or building regs or neither at the moment. just need a steer really, thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 You could do with posting some pictures. Need to see the lintel bearing on either end and what is sat on the lintel from the inside. What is the width of the garage openings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted August 29, 2023 Author Share Posted August 29, 2023 Okay I am away at the moment but will do that. the beams are sat either end on brick pillars again I would say 9inch Above are wooden manufactured trusses. I will post as soon as I am back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Westfield Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 If I'm understanding you correctly, you will not have any support in the center if you take out the pillar. With the beams being 2 pieces, they have NO load bearing ability. You MIGHT be allowed to cap them with an L-shaped piece of steel, but it would need to be the same size as the beams --9x3-- and probably 1/4' thick, and at least 15 feet long Far better to remove the old ones and replace with a single unit or stay with 2 doors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Ingram Posted August 30, 2023 Share Posted August 30, 2023 This sounds exactly the same as my garage. I looked into doing a similar thing, as I only use one of the garage doors. The other is blocked off. I want to move the pillar over a couple of feet, then brick up the smaller gap and have a larger single garage door. I can only just get a car through the door that is there now. My builder said it would need an RSJ to span the gap as the wood beams that are there won't support the load. I need a structural engineer to work out what size it needs to be, so I've left it as it is for now. Apparently, a new kitchen is more urgent than a garage door. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted August 30, 2023 Author Share Posted August 30, 2023 Thanks for the replies so far. The wooden beams are side by side and span the garage resting on the centre pillar. I was hoping there was a way to make these work without having to take all the fascia’s etc down. we will see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim RS Posted August 30, 2023 Share Posted August 30, 2023 I would suggest that you get a structural engineer to do calculations on modifications as even the brick pillars will need strengthening. Any structural modification like this will need at the least building regs. approval and a possible visit on completion. Additionally if anything should happen, even out of your control, your insurance would drop you like a hot potato. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euan Hoosearmy Posted August 30, 2023 Share Posted August 30, 2023 If you do get as far as fitting a single door, go for a sectional, not a roller. A friend runs a garage door company and likes double-span roller doors as the maintenance work on them keeps him busy. They sag in the middle after a while and it causes issues longer term. He tries to avoid fitting them as they don't help his reputation but is happy to take the money fixing/replacing other peoples work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff oakley Posted September 4, 2023 Author Share Posted September 4, 2023 Hi All I have some sizes and pictures now. Width of garage is 5.5 metres. Beams are 9x3 side by side which the roof sits on. Beams are sat on piers roughly 20 cms at either end, could be a little more but hard to see. Pillar to remove is central. Pictures show the basics. I suspect unless the wooden bean can be strengthened than it will be a RSJ If someone can explain why my iphone photos seem to all end up like this , although showing correct, it would be appreciated If Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 The timbers look decent and the side walls are taking a lot of there weight. I am just wondering if you could bolt a steel plate to the back of the timber lintels. A structural engineer would be able to easily calculate that and even with the calculation it would be cheaper than replacing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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