How do you get a steel beam into an attic?
In a finished house, the usual way is to use a spliced beam: it arrives in pieces of about two metres, each piece is carried up the stairs and through the attic hatch, and the beam is bolted together in the attic. No crane and no opening in the roof.
How big and heavy are the pieces?
This table shows the pieces you get with the number of splices our website suggests. Weights are for the bare steel section; the end plates and bolts add a little to each piece.
| Clear span | Pieces | Each piece | 203 UB piece | 254 UB piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 m | 2 | 2.10 m | 52 kg | 65 kg |
| 5.0 m | 3 | 1.73 m | 43 kg | 54 kg |
| 6.0 m | 3 | 2.07 m | 52 kg | 64 kg |
| 7.0 m | 4 | 1.80 m | 45 kg | 56 kg |
| 8.0 m | 4 | 2.05 m | 51 kg | 64 kg |
| 10.0 m | 5 | 2.04 m | 51 kg | 63 kg |
| 12.0 m | 6 | 2.03 m | 51 kg | 63 kg |
At these weights every piece is a two-person lift. Do not plan on one person carrying a piece up a stairs alone.
Plan the route before the beam arrives
- Measure the tightest point. That is usually the turn of the stairs or the attic hatch. Pieces of about two metres are sized with stairs and hatches in mind, but measure yours.
- Clear and protect the way. Take pictures off the walls and cover stair edges and floors. Steel marks whatever it touches.
- Decide where each piece will rest. Lay timber across the ceiling joists so no piece sits on plasterboard.
- Have enough people. Two to carry, and ideally a third to guide at the hatch.
If two-metre pieces will not fit
Some stairs and hatches are tighter than usual. If you need shorter pieces than the website suggests, tell us through the enquiry form or WhatsApp before you order and we will price the beam with more splices.
If you have better access
Where there is a gable opening or the roof is already open, longer pieces can go in. On the website you can choose fewer splices than suggested, which lowers the price a little. Remember that halving the number of pieces doubles the weight of each one.
Bolting it together
- Lay the pieces out in order along the line of the beam.
- Bring the end plates together and fit the M20 bolts supplied.
- Tighten the bolts as your engineer or fitter specifies.
- Lift the assembled beam onto its bearings. Each end normally sits 100 mm onto the wall, which is already allowed for in the length we cut.
There is more on the joint itself in what is a spliced attic beam.
Getting it to your door
We deliver across Ireland from Lusk, Co. Dublin, or you can collect for free. Because the beam is in short pieces, it can go in a van or on a trailer. If you are collecting, check the total weight against what your vehicle can carry. Standard turnaround is about 5 working days from order.