How Do You Construct Built-Up Wooden Beams?
A built-up wooden beam is a standard element in residential wood-frame construction and is used most commonly as a header–a structural beam spanning over the top of a window, door or room opening. Built-up headers typically are made with two pieces of 2 x (or “2-by”) lumber, such as 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s or larger lumber, sandwiched over a spacer cut from 1/2-inch-thick plywood. The plywood is needed to bring the total thickness of the header to about 3 1/2 inches to match the depth of a 2 x 4 wall frame. Cut the 2 x boards to length to span the framed opening, using a circular saw, handsaw or power miter saw. Note: The proper size of lumber to use is determined by the span of the opening and the structural load the header must support. Header requirements are dictated by the local building code; consult your city’s building department for recommendations. Check the 2 x header boards for crowning. Sight down the length of each board to check for an arched shape along the edges. In other word
