Do you have to have a steel beam for a load bearing wall or is a timber beam ok




18880 terrace house, stairs moved circa 2000 and loft conversion put in. Beam for load baring wall is cladded to look like old beam. Survey 10 years ago said we needed to check if this was a steel beam. Just had someone check and it is a timber beam - builder said its fine and there is no movement but if we were to sell i assume this question will come up in the survey again. Thinking of getting in structural engineer to advise and potentially add steel beam below timber exisisting, put in new RSJ completely or put the wall back. But obviously don't wnat to do it if i don't need to. 

I don't know the size of the beam but let's assume it is the right size suitable for its purpose - butit is just timber and not steel and encased in MDf or other cheap wood and stained to look like old beam.

Many thanks for answers - it was passed by buidling control but may well still check structural engineer.
I am myself a structural engineer, there's no reason you can't use timber. From what I understand of what you're saying, its the beam that trims the stairs and the wall is built off of it going up to your loft. If the wall you mention is stud, not solid brick or block, timber could well be man enough for the job - but I'd expect to see a large timber beam, or 2 or 3 joists joined together to form a wide beam. If you're in doubt ask a local structural engineer to make an assessment and size a new steel if required. You will be looking at around £250 - £350 for their services (estimated by your description).
there is a lot to consider when you want to install a bigger window, because you will need to lengthen the header. if you’re unfamiliar with the term, it is the support beam across the tops of windows and doors that supports the load and protects doors and windows from being damaged by pressure from above. think of it a bit like a bridge that transfers the weight to either side of the window opening. and worth noting - replacing windows just to 'save money' or energy doesn't always make financial sense, read more here - 
when to replace windows and when to repair them
in order to be able to carry the load and transfer it to the support members on either side, it needs to be sized correctly for the span to ensure it doesn’t sag. for example, you may currently have a  2x6 header (which would be either doubled or perhaps tripled) that might need to be replaced with a 2x8 header, depending on how much greater the span will be. so there is a bit of engineering that may need to be done depending on just how much you are increasing the span, and that would depend largely on your local snow load.
as you can see from the diagram below, the header (#2 and triple in this case) is resting on what is called the jack post, which is secured to the king post. to enlarge the opening, you will need to remove enough wall section to replace those studs along with the header. note - this image includes a double bottom plate (#4), which is rather unsual and probably not necessary.

image courtesy of wikimedia

 
if it is a double-walled building envelope, make sure that you know which of the walls is the supporting wall, but you should see that by the location of the existing header. sometimes a double wall system will have a 2x6 supporting wall with an additional 2x4 interior wall simply for the purpose of adding additional insulation. below is a photo of a double wall system that may or may not look like yours, but in this example you can see that the exterior wall carries the load and holds the window, the interior wall is not load bearing, it is for insulation, and wiring is done in this wall as well so as not to compromise the air barrier. 

double wall construction ©  ecohome
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about the windows, i’m not sure i understand your question about the double and triple pane. if it were me replacing windows, i would certainly purchase triple-pane for efficiency as well as comfort, but you do not need more than one window per opening if that is your question. just get really good ones. windows will always be the weakest point in a building envelope, that’s just part of life, and good reason to buy higher quality.
and lastly, i’m not familiar with where se wi is off the top of my head, but google is telling that’s wisconsin, is that right? if so, we don’t know builders in that region, sorry. 
here are some pages that may also be of use to you, good luck with your renos! hi @gzimmermann - we do send engineers out to take routine readings, whether you have a smart meter or a traditional meter. they'd be from morrisons data services if we've sent them, and they should carry identification if you did want to ask for proof.

hope this helps! 1. introduction: rough surface in contact i. surface of engineering materials: generals  surfaces have chemical properties, which are different from bulk virgin material. o most metallic surfaces in air have oxide layers, which change the chemical and mechanical properties of the surfaces.  surfaces have mechanical properties, which are different from bulk material. o machining or sliding contact makes strain hardened (or work hardened) layer and highly deformed layer, whose strength are different from bulk.  real engineering surfaces are rough. mirror like smooth surface afm image *any examples are for illustrative purposes only.*  
  
smoke barriers are used to subdivide building spaces into smoke compartments.  they restrict the passage of smoke and therefore through-penetrations must be sealed with a material capable of restricting the transfer of smoke.  
  
smoke barrier walls in existing health care and ambulatory health care occupancies are required to have a ½-hour fire rating.  in new health care and ambulatory health care occupancies, smoke barrier walls are required to have a 1-hour fire rating.  when sealing penetrations in these walls, a material that is ul listed for the appropriate fire rating must be used.
* facilities are classified as “existing” if final plans for construction, additions, renovations, or changes in occupancy were approved by the local authority having jurisdiction before july 5, 2016.


where ductwork penetrates a smoke barrier wall, a smoke damper is not required to if the hvac system is fully ducted. air transfer openings (non-ducted) shall have a smoke damper installed.  
  
reference ls.02.01.30 ep19 deliveries - but requires driving... i know... you don't do that.home appraiser - need a licensed or certified appraiser to sponsor you, but you can do that with little training, make decent $. again.. driving requiredhome inspector. could be that the nails used to anchor the ceiling product or the nails in the crossbeams are rusting. the humidity is causing the rust to leach into the ceiling product. since you say they are in a line, this makes sense.

the only thing you can do is to prime over them and repaint. You'll want to check a few details on the trailer so you can select compatible replacement parts. 

First, you want to confirm the axles' rated capacity; this should be noted on a sticker or plate on the axles themselves. Based on the info you provided it may be that you have two 3500-lb axles. Your brakes and hubs must match the axle rating.

Next you'll want to take note of the size of the current brakes. You need to confirm the diameter and depth. You also want to note their mounting bolt pattern so you can match this as well. The linked page will show you all 3.5K hydraulic drum brakes; all of these happen to be the 10 x 2-1/4-inch size with a 4-bolt mounting pattern like left and right free-backing brakes # AKFBBRK-35-D. (Free-backing brakes allow for reversing your trailer without need for a lockout on the coupler.)

With free-backing brakes you can use a standard coupler (with no reverse lockout) such as 7.5K-rated # 099-175-00 from Dexter which is a fit for 2 inch hitch balls. It bolts to a 3-inch-wide trailer tongue. You'll need a brake line kit like # 24TA-BLKIT.

For hub/drums you can use the linked page to select your wheel bolt pattern, axle rating and your bearings. New hub/drums must use the same inner and outer bearing as your current hubs. For example, if you need 5-on-4-1/2 hubs with inner bearing 68149 and outer bearing 44649 then you can use Dexter hub/drum # 84546UC3.

Please feel free to let me know the details noted above and I'll be glad to help you select the items you need. Your lease should address subleasing and you first need a lawyer to review your lease for such a clause. hello bo, - - you are absolutely right, we have to add more architectural examples. i will also try to blog about those things. give us some time to come up with those new content. - - thanks for your input. - - all the best, - jan blessenohl - the telerik team - - check out telerik trainer, the state of the art learning tool for telerik products. - this could be tricky. i would build the wall as you go. remember to place a perforated drainage pipe behind the wall, at the bottom, and some 2b stone to accommodate water removal away from the wall. pitch the wall back a little every course, and if you are using 4 by 4's or 6 by 6's, remember to place a 4 by 4 every so often from the wall (attached to the wall) back into the soil. these beams will help the wall from moving forward due to the weight and pressure of the soil.
you can find good examples on the internet.
good luck!