Homeowners typically have a pretty minor level of exposure to the use of steel beams in their homes. They are, in fact, used in certain situations typically for the purpose of adding a higher degree of strength to a structure that wouldn't otherwise be possible with wood. A steel beam infrastructure is entirely more common in the building of industrial and commercial buildings due to their ability to be shaped into far longer-sized pieces. There are still some cases where steel beams are found in a residential home.
Some of the most common uses for steel beams include:
- Foundation: Especially in the case of newer homes, steel beams are often found in the plans to be used in a few locations or potentially throughout a building's entire foundation.
- Roof Support: If your roof needs to be reinforced, steel is a popular material choice because of its strength and relatively thinner size compared to wood. You'll be employing the service of a crane to hoist the beam into place and will also want to staff a contracting team experienced in working with structural beam installation.
- Reinforcing an older home's frame: It's becoming rather common for homeowners to try and "open up" their home's floor plan by removing interior walls to create an open concept design. In many cases, there are load-bearing support beams that need to be reinforced. In these cases, steel has some very attractive advantages over wood.
How Much Will It Cost To Install Steel Beams?
When it comes to the world of steel beams, size definitely matters. Size and logistics are the two main characteristics of a particular job that will largely determine the cost to install steel beams. Expect to pay a total of anywhere between $800 and $5,000 for the entire job with $2,200 being the average price. The more beams you need and the higher they need to be hoisted up into your home, the more you should expect to pay.
Also, there are plenty of situations where a structural engineer will need to be called into the picture to consult on the benefits of using steel as opposed to wood as your beam's material type. Depending on what your particular need is from a structural point of view, you may find that wood can work equally as well as steel.
However, to get the same degree of support, you'll need a larger beam that what would equally suffice with steel. Another major benefit of steel is the fact that, unlike wood, there are no insects that feast on it. Pests that regularly feed on wood in the home include:
- Ambrosia beetle
- Common furniture beetle
- Deathwatch beetle
- Flat-headed wood-borer
- Powderpost beetle (Anobiidae, Bostrichidae)
- Old-house borer
Homes made entirely of wood can fall victim to termites and other vermins that can feast on the material and over time slowly degrade its integrity.
It certainly pays to be able to understand, in advance, what the likely cost to install steel beams will be once the dust settles and the project is complete. You may want to consult with two or more providers to determine what the range of costs are and then reference consumer reviews to see which parties are the most reputable.
Get in Touch With Local Experts
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