Addressing Failed Beam Repairs in a Historic Farmhouse
Case Study: Historic Farmhouse Beam Restoration
When a historic oak beam supporting a stone farmhouse began to fail, our skilled team stepped in to provide a lasting solution where others had fallen short.
A stone-built farmhouse on a country estate was experiencing issues with an oak beam supporting a significant load from above
Despite previous intervention by another contractor, the beam continued to sag, a combination of workmanship exacerbating inadequate consideration of beam size (reduced by decay)
Trace were asked to inspect and implement a remedial design to replace the failed repair
Additional repairs included replacing a number of decayed joists, bearing onto the failing beam
Works were successfully completed with the property in occupation
Remedial works were previously undertaken by third parties, to an oak beam located in the cellar of the farmhouse, which supports the ground floor hall over. The original works were to replace half the oak beam that was decayed and flitch to the other half.
It was found when the temporary propping was released, the beam deflection followed the prop., and was calculated to exceed the permissible limits.
Following a site visit to inspect the beam it was found that the timber to the underside of the flitch was also decayed, this meant that the through bolts could not transfer the forces from the steel plate into the beam effectively. It was also found that the original beam size used in the calculations was not correct, i.e the surface of the beam was decayed meaning the beam was reduced in size and thus its capacity.
Working in close collaboration with structural engineers, we developed a comprehensive repair strategy:
- Installation of a new length of oak beam (c. 150kg)
- Replacement of numerous oak joists that had suffered decay and insect attack at their bearing ends
- Implementation of a properly executed half lap scarf joint secured with steel threaded bar and nuts
- Enhancement of the joint with colour-matched Rotafix Structural Adhesive (RSA) to ensure seamless integration
For absolute peace of mind, we constructed a supplementary support system consisting of a footing and brick pier, finished with traditional limewash to maintain aesthetics with the historic property.
The restored beam now provides solid structural integrity while preserving the character of this historic building. Though we were confident in our primary repair method, the additional support ensures this heritage property will now stand strong for a very long time.
This project illustrates our commitment to excellence in timber restoration, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern engineering techniques to deliver results that exceed expectations.
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