DEAR TIM: I’m getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. I’ve been told that a wood beam will work, but I’ve always seen steel I-beams in other houses.

Q: My house plan calls for steel beams that will support the floor joists and even parts of a brick wall. Can I substitute wood beams for steel? Is a steel I-beam hard to handle on the job site? Do ...

Dear Pat: I am having a new house built, and the builder is recommending I-joists instead of standard floor joists. I remember reading about some fire problems with them. Are I-joists as strong? -- ...

Throughout the United States, engineered wooden I-beam joists are becoming more prevalent in residential construction for several reasons. For example, they can be more cost effective than dimensional ...

Welcome back to the "Behold the Beam" series of articles. In part three (Firehouse®, September 2010) of the series, we discussed the first five of the 13 common types of beams that firefighters can ...

Q: I have an older home with a crawlspace foundation. My problem is the floors sag in the living room to the point where it's hard to keep a lamp steady on the end tables. My other problem is there is ...

Q: I have an older home with a crawl-space foundation. My problem is the floors sag in the living room to the point where it’s hard to keep a lamp steady on the end tables. My other problem is there ...

Question: My husband and I purchased a beautiful townhome on Santa Barbara’s Upper Eastside a few years back that was recently built. There are two buildings, both three stories tall, built in what I ...

Question: I have an older home with a crawlspace foundation. My problem is the floors sag in the living room to the point where it's hard to keep a lamp steady on the end tables. My other problem is ...