Metal angle for garage door beam

[BjornMiller]

Hi
Last year I had a building inspector access my garage door for turning it from 2 single doors with a post to a single door and removing the post.
His recommendation was to install a metal angle stagger bolted to the inside of the beam.

The beam is Oregon 300x100 spanning 5.3 metres.

As I haven't done any anything like this before (my first home renovation) could someone recommend where I may start in acquiring this and also what size (including thickness) would be needed. After some initial investigation of building websites there seems to be a vast array of products.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
Bjorn

[Pulse]

Welcome to the forum Bjorn,

Technically structural modifications need council approval and a development application which is expensive.

This is a difficult project that will require a bit of technical expertise. Builders etc may not be interested is there is no council approval.

The best way is to find a friend with some background in this area. You need a large lintel, the size of which depends on the span (5300) and roof (tiles or sheet) and the Roof Load Width (RLW) You can use timber using AS 1684 span tables, or hot rolled structural steel (engineer specified).

Another option is a Smorgon LiteSteel beam. Span tables are on their website and they are light enough to replace hot rolled structurals. You could bolt it to the existing lintel or replace it after propping the ceiling with acro props.

Metal angles are not really great at spanning such large distances but easier to install.

Cheers
Pulse

[DvdHntr]

Metal angles or channels are the ideal solution if you leave the existing beam in. They can strengthen the original beam, however, to design it you need a professional, no span tables. If you provide the span, RLW, and roof type, someone here may be able to help. The problem with that is you get no certification. Also, some people will take a guess and what if they are wrong?

Your best bet is to get a local engineer to give you a quick design. It may cost a few hundred but it could be worth it.