Tables providing size selections for various beam spans and loading combinations for southern pine dimension lumber and southern pine glued laminated timber are available for the following applications.
Header spans for covered porch roof.
Jan 15 2017 a simple buying guide for beams and rafters that support patio roofs.
For a porch roof the beam needs to be sized according to the maximum snow loads in your area and you must know enough about the porch design to determine how the load will be distributed and over what distance the beam will carry the load.
Window door garage door headers supporting roof wall floor loads.
The tables below give maximum spans for rafters and beams.
Rafter spans can be extended slightly beyond what the rafter tables suggest when there is a cantelever extending beyond the supporting wall.
The total load is 4 000 pounds.
In general the maximum span for a 4 by 6 beam is 6 feet between 4 by 4 posts.
Window door garage door headers supporting roof loads only.
Girder spans and header spans for exterior bearing walls maximum spans for douglas fir larch hem fir southern pine and spruce pine fir and required number of jack studs.
Ceiling joist span use this table to determine the maximum lengths of ceiling joists based on species of lumber joist spacing and joist size.
Roof ceiling and one clear span floor 4 2x12 9 11 2 8 7 2 7 8 2 fccip 425 main st ste 25 greenfield ma 01301 3393 fccip staff phone.
A 4 by 10 can usually span up to 12 feet between posts.
Includes size and spacing tables for load bearing and links to related articles.
For heavy roofs or in areas with substantial snowfall or winds call your local building department for code requirements.
The smallest beams for patio covers are typically 4 by 6.
Maximum rafter spans for a patio roof in areas with mild climates patio roofs are generally designed for loads of 30 psf pounds per square foot.