Beams

[alex trent]

My prototype is 20x30 small house, one floor.  I am changing to 22x22 with 8 foot deck in front and will have a diamond hip roof  (in the most recent revision).  Built on 15 6x6 pier/posts.  Come a long way from the original, due mainly to suggestions from guys on here.  It all seems to be coming together, but tons of questions yet and I figure best to ask them before I start (unusual for me).

In the builds I see on here with pier/post I see beams mostly sitting on top of posts where there seems to be enough post left  (2" ) after the cut to make cutting in work. Liability/advantage to cutting them in?  To me that seems to be the most stable.

I plan to use 3x12 beams on 6" posts. All are rough so the 3 is 3, etc.  My post to post is 5 1/2 feet for a one floor cabin. Roof load will be light as using galvinized and cane inside for show...so all of that is 2 psi (plus wood up there too which is about another 4). And we got no snow!

I plan to set joists (2x10/16"center /11'span)) on top, so if I use a joist size timber  to box the area on top of the beams that leave me 1" of bearing area on the beam for the joist.  Can I use 1 inch to box and that gives me 2 inches of bearing area.  Just seems better to me as the perimeter box is not a real structural part of the equation.

For reference, my framing wood is cedro macho....about 20% better in most strength indices than SYP. Will be all borate treated by me and air dried for about 40 days before nailing the deck stuff and 60 days for the walls and 70 days for the roof.  The floor will be kiln dryed guapinol T&G...good hard wood. Plan to use 2x6 for studs...but am considering 4x4 for the look as there will be no inside walls and we will look at the back of the siding which is very nice....also cedro macho T&G. so the "studs" will form part of the "look" and will be a variety of wood.

[Texas Tornado]

pic of the floor plan?

[alex trent]

Adapting from the 20x30 single story on the CP site.  I ordered but not in hand to modify in print. Just settled on what I am going to do as far as size, layout so that is the reason for all the questions...tho try to get it figured out before I order materials and do drawings.

I am going to set up on the web site needed for this site to be able to posts pics...soon. Have some drawings that will be useful to see what is being done.  I will also post pics of my building site and the build.

[Don_P]

This is one way to do it without weakening the post as much.

[alex trent]

That is a neat way.

I know we discussed having the posts go all the way up to the top plate in previous posts and I almost had it figured out....this would sure do it.  But have since decided to do it more "conventionally" and build off an adaptation of the 20x30 plan on the Country Plans site. So we will have a deck first and erect the walls on that and not all tied into posts which continue up past the deck.   Thats the reason for my question about beams on top or into the post...since the post will not be continuing up past the beam as it was before that strength issue is no longer something to deal with.