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Decorative or support beams?From: aprilamey@cox.net
Category: Structural
Remote Name: 68.231.90.125
Date: 30 Mar 2005
Time: 11:13 AM
CommentsI want to remove the 4 beams in the family room ceiling and I'm not sure how to tell if they're support beams or not. I'm hoping there's an easy way for me to tell as I only have this weekend to remove them (if not real) to get recessed lighting professionally installed next week.
Here's information I hope is somewhat helpful.
Beams are definitely wood on the outside - I see wood splitting and fraying pieces. They are 4" x 7" and are 42.5" apart. One end goes to the exterior wall and the other end goes to a soffit where the vents are located.
If I look from the doorway between this room and the one next to it, the actual ceilings are the same height, so the family room beams are lower and the actual ceilings are level to each other. This leads me to believe they are decorative only, but I'm not sure.
There is a ceiling fan in the middle of the room into the actual ceiling. There are also track lights into the actual ceiling. There is one lone track light installed into the SIDE of one of the beams.
Any suggestions are appreciated. I'm fine drilling a hole to see up and then patch it, but I need to know what I'm looking for. For instance, if I cut a hole into the soffit to 'look in' at the beam, how far would it go in to be a support beam? Would it run the full length of both rooms for instance? Or am I better off cutting a hole into the ceiling next to one of the beams and see if it's actually nailed to a real support beam above it?
Thanks!
April Amey
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