Crack on support beam

[downturn9]

Is there any expert here that can help telling, if the support beam in the picture needs repairing? It appears to have a crack on it as shown.Here you go:http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=82

[drelly]

It must be painted white, I can't see it against the page background!

[Aston]

Maybe I'm missing something here but I can't see a pic.

[downturn9]

I have difficulty upload the image the normal way..Here you go:http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=82

[downturn9]

Here you go:http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=82

[drelly]

---------------------------
OK
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Someone's written "OK" on your beam.

[downturn9]

Here you go:

http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=82

[Aston]

What is the beam holding up?

[downturn9]

What is the beam holding up?

It is holding up the upper floor / second level, if I understand your question Aston.It is located at the kitchen area of a weatherboard house if that helps.

[downturn9]

Someone's written "OK" on your beam.

Here you go Drelly:http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=82

[Aston]

It looks at though it has been there for ever and a day. I would just leave it. There will not be a lot of weakness created by the crack in the beam. I worry about a lot of thing but I wouldn't worry about that. Just fill the crack up with some filler, or if you want to do a good cover up job, you could gib over the beam.

However having said all of that if you're worried about, get a builder in to check it out.

[drelly]

I doubt that anyone would be willing to give you a definite answer. I've seen lots of cracks like that before though. If it's still solid, it's *probably* fine. From the look of the crack, the beam doesn't look like it's bending.

[AMR]

Is it a painted beam or gibbed over? Steel or timber?

[jimO]

just guessing but i reckon its a Oregon beam and has split in the grain, get a builder to have a look at it

[downturn9]

It is timber with white paint on it.

I checked out some website on the net, about wood crack, some say a crack could be a so called "checking" that is the appearance of cracks or splits in the wood as the wood dries out. The beam looks still very straight though. I don't have the experieince to tell if this one is a checking or not.