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  1. 14th April 2015, 11:10 PM #1
    Arron
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    Default Suggestions for boxing a beam - woodworking perspective

    Hi. Currently I'm converting unused downstairs space into a rumpus room. The carpentry and gyprocking are nearly finished, so now I'm focusing on the large beams running across the ceiling. These are metal I-beam type RSJ's - they seem very large for their intended function. I know the conventional approach is to box them in with gyprock - but frankly I'm pretty much over the whole plasterboard thing. Over the stupid crumbly edges and the back-breaking weight and the hours spent stopping up the cracks. So I'm wondering if there isn't some other way to do it - perhaps something closer to my skillset which is basically woodwork. Is there a strictly woodworking solution to boxing in an I-beam ?

    To give you an example, I was explaining to my wife how the conventional method was to stick noggings in the recess of the I-beam and then fix a long thin sheet of gyprock along each side, and one along the bottom. She (a good lateral thinker, unencumbered with preconceptions) said 'why put a sheet on the bottom - surely its redundant' . Then, 'why hang the side sheets on the outside of the beam - you're only making something ugly bigger - surely they should be recessed between the limbs of the I-beam'.

    We then worked up a partial solution with thin mdf glued to battens glued to the inside face of the I-beam. The outside face of the mdf would be flush with the very tips of the horizontal protrusions of the I-beam (the limbs). Because I can cut the mdf as a very close fit the only gap to fill would be the tiny one between the aris of the mdf and the tip of the limb. I cant see why it would look any less neat and seamless then a beam boxed in with gyprock.

    But maybe someone has a better idea.

    Any ideas anyone ?

    cheers
    Arron

    ps. can someone please tell me how to permanently delete my signature (I shut the Patonga website down months ago, but cant find how to delete the reference to it)
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  3. 15th April 2015, 12:13 AM #2
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    malb
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    The issues that I see if you don't fully box the beam is that it it will collect dirt and dust on the top of the lower flange which would make it a pain to keep clean as it would probably rate as on of the items for occasional vacuuming rather than regular vacuuming. If it accumulates and then gets damp from condensation it will set and be very hard to move.

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    I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.
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  4. 15th April 2015, 12:40 AM #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arron View Post
    But maybe someone has a better idea.

    beam.jpg
    I think that personally, I'd box the I beam using real wood not MDF or gyprock

    Your skill set is working wood so it should be relatively easy to make the steel beam look like a glue laminated timber beam
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian
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  5. 15th April 2015, 07:50 AM #4
    Arron
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    Quote Originally Posted by malb View Post
    For the signature, go to Forum Actions dropdown (dark bar near top of screen), General settings, then select My settings, Edit Signature from the operations shown on the left side of screen. This will display your current sig, and open an edit window very similar to the ones for posting and writing messages. Delete the sig and save or submit. If possible do this via a separate window so you can swap windows to read instructions or carry them out.
    Done. Thanks very much.

    Cheers
    Arron
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  6. 15th April 2015, 09:45 AM #5
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    When we did our upstairs addition we had a large I beam which I boxed in Oregon.
    I was even silly enough to split it on the bandsaw and match it.
    H.

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  7. 15th April 2015, 09:57 AM #6
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    Why not just go for the industrial look and paint it to blend in with the ceiling colour? How much rumpus will be going on in the rumpus room? I'd be thinking having something you can stick a girder clamp on in a utility room might be useful at some point.
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  8. 16th April 2015, 12:43 PM #7
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    If you are painting over then the gyprock will cost less than mdf and look the same in the end. I would think easier to do than the mdf too. Boxing in with wood then stain, oil or varnish will be a nice contrast especially for us lovers of wood. Being both lazy and cost sensitive the bare beam industrial look also has merit.
    Regards
    John
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