RSJ Steel Beam over window

[DR007]

Had to strip down cieling and noticed that the RSJ crossing over from the garage wall into the house rests over an internal window!

Above the window all I could see is bricks, I'm guessing there is a lintel of some sort but even so would this be sufficent to support the weight of the floor above?

The UPVC frame has a very slight bend roughly just left of the RSJ. I really do hope I'm worrying about nothing.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Do the beams not carry on going and span onto the wall on the LHS of the room in the first pic? You could do some further investigation in the circled area to see if there's a lintel or something.

 

[DR007]

The house was extended above the garage in the 80s.
The two beams running size by side (one for each leaf) stop above the window and do not extend any further.
I know this from having previously had the floorboards up in the adjacent upstairs room.
This used to be an external wall, and so is double skin with a breeze block inner leaf/brick outer leaf.

The previous owner tells me the window was put in about 12 years ago, somewhat reassuring.
He believes the fitter that replaced various other windows put a beam above this one, however isn't certain.

I'm not clued up on these things and so perhaps am not looking in the right place or worrying unnecessarily.
A spark is due to chase the light switch on the RHS which may be an oppertunity for further investigation.

Other points to mention, if relevant or assist:
- Minor sag roughly in the centre of the UPVC frame (unnoticeable to others).
- The brick under one of the beams is loose.
- The wall opposite the window is single skin breeze block and has 1mm vertical cracks top to bottom directly under the RSJ.
The beam extends past this wall to the garage external wall which is double skin. There are no cracks on the external garage wall.

What was only meant to be the sparky sticking in a few spotlights has now got me fearing the worst, a hefty structural bill coming my way.

 

[George_engineer]

Do the beams sit on the right hand wall from the first photo? I suspect they are cantilevered out and over to the internal window. This is far from ideal but the fix could be a post or bricking up some or all of the internal window.

This may be one for a structural engineer to come and advise. Unfortunately this is one of those 'once you know you can't unknow it'.

 

[DR007]

Yes, the beam sits on 3 walls.
External garage wall, internal garage wall/hallway wall (single skin with vertical cracks) and ends at the double skin wall over the window.

Thanks for the perspective on cantilever. The original extension ofcourse didn't have this issue but now that its been introduced, If I want to keep the window I could support the beam from inside the garage which would also cause minimum distruption.
With enough luck and maneuvering I might still be able to squeeze out the car

What kind of support type is usual for this type of situation? RSJ Column?

 

[noseall]

Yes, the beam sits on 3 walls.
External garage wall, internal garage wall/hallway wall (single skin with vertical cracks) and ends at the double skin wall over the window.

Thanks for the perspective on cantilever. The original extension ofcourse didn't have this issue but now that its been introduced, If I want to keep the window I could support the beam from inside the garage which would also cause minimum distruption.
With enough luck and maneuvering I might still be able to squeeze out the car

What kind of support type is usual for this type of situation? RSJ Column?

Why is there a window (...to nowhere) there at all?

 

[DR007]

Its so you can feel like your at the zoo watching apes roam around.
Jokes aside, Its unusual but it does make a long narrow entrance somewhat more interesting.

As i've just found, structural surveys at the point of purchase will rarely pick up things like this and you can't expect to strip down a sellers house to look for potential issues... feel a bit hard done or unlucky I should say, but it is what it is.
Now that the elements are exposed I'll have to get an opinion from a professional structural surveyor and take it from there.
Fingers crossed its won't involve too much work or pesos with a 7m baby around the house.

 

[cdbe]

Can't need more than a hefty (or calculated) length of SHS (if what's there now is inadequate, ie a standard catnic or concrete lintel - which probably isn't suitable for the point load). Hammer and chisel to investigate.