post and beam sb house

[Robert W Tom <archilogic@juno.com>]

> I'm thinking of using four "sandwiched" (screwed together) 
>2X8's for both the beams and the posts. Looks don't matter
>because they are hidden inside the wall and I thought it might be
>cheaper than trying to get proper posts (havn't seen any at the local
>lumber yards). 
>My question is this :Has anyone ever heard or seen of any
>sb house built this way?  Is using 2X8's overkill? The longest span
>would be 13 feet.


Peter;

Without crunching any numbers  I think that I can safely say that 
the four 2x8's spanning 13 feet will not be satisfactory. 
I think that we'd be talking at least 8"x10" or more.

It might be (specific data required to know for sure) okay if the bales
were used to help take some of the loading.

I t would use a lot less lumber and smaller dimensioned lumber
if a deep box beam were used instead, and the deep web 
could be used to contribute to shear & racking resistance of the frame.

For the posts, I think that nailing together store-bought 2x8's would be
a waste of good lumber.

 Also, to take a log, saw it up into little strips (making a pile of  
sawdust waste in the process) , shipping it a few thousand miles 
and then butchering  the stuff by whacking a bunch of 
metal shards into it to make it into a post again is something that 
I think even a Barbarian wouldn't do.

It would make more sense to find a sawmill
or farmer who will provide you with whole posts.

Compression members (posts) can be of a lower grade of 
lumber than flexural members (beams). 
2x8's are usually #2 or better and are suited for use a joists.

You should take the time to season green timbers properly and/or 
mill a stress-relieving kerf  into them so that destructive cracking 
as a result of drying shrinkage does not occur and so that you 
don't encapsulate wet materials within the wall.

re: Framing Method

I can't think of a way to put it kindly so I won't try.

There was an idiot architect by the name of Alex Wade [spit]
who fancied himself a builder as well, who wrote some books 
back in the seventies promoting some "radical" (by his own 
appraisal) framing methods which included one that was not 
unlike the process you describe.

I still spit whenever his name is mentioned [spit] because 
his irresponsbile %$@^^#* cost many unsuspecting 
novice owner/builders untold heartache and wasted 
time/resources.

                 ===    *     ===
Robert  W. Tom          Kanata, Ontario, Canada       
Rob_Tom@ErehwonDesignGroup.intranets.com 

please visit:  http://www.theHungerSite.com daily

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