Box beams are hollow beams made of lumber and plywood or metal with cladding. They are not as strong as solid beams but have practical advantages, including easier placement and on-site assembly. Box beams are ideal for decorative purposes and can be painted or stained to match the overall design.
Box beams are beams created using sections of lumber, along with sheets of plywood. Metal versions are often made using lengths of forged metal along with some type of sheet metal or cladding for added strength. Unlike a solid beam, a box beam is hollow inside. This often means that the box girder or beam is not necessarily as strong as a solid beam made up of wood or metal.
Creating a box girder is a relatively simple task. Four lengths of lumber, like planks, are joined together to create a box design. The four sides of the box are secured in place with nails and wood glue. Once the beam is assembled it can be fitted to a ceiling, used as a support for a porch roof or for a range of other practical and decorative applications.
While not as strong as a solid beam, the box beam has several practical advantages. One has to do with the weight of the finished beam. Since the beam section is hollow, it is often easier to place it. This makes it ideal for many situations where a solid beam is not really needed.
Another advantage of the box beam is that it can be assembled on site, rather than being manufactured in a remote location and transported to site. This advantage makes the box beam a favorite in the construction of houses and similar buildings. Because the lumber can be cut to fit exact specifications, then assembled into the box beam design, there is less wood wasted in the construction process. Thus, the builder saves money on materials and is able to be more competitive when he quotes a price on a construction project.
Box beam is also a practical solution when the look of a beam is required, but the beam will not be considered a major load-bearing element within the space. For example, adding a box beam design to a home during renovation may be purely decorative in nature. Because the structure already has elements within the design that hold the weight, adding the beams in a den or other room in the house simply makes it easier to set the mood in a more rustic-feeling room. or country.
Because a box beam is assembled from individual components, you can build the beam as a roughly square fixture or opt for a rectangular design. In terms of appearance, the beams can be painted in any color that fits into the overall design idea. When the beam is constructed with wood products, it is also possible to stain and seal the fixture once it is assembled. This allows the natural beauty of the wood grain to be brought out, a feature that will likely work well when the décor is casual.
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