Help with finishing Basement Beams

[Drew Pavlak]

Hello,

This is my first post, but I have been reading the forum as a guest for some time now. Any way, I was wondering if anyone would like to share any experiences with wrapping steel beams in a basement, or other beams for that matter.

I have been searching the net for some ideas and really been coming up empty. My original plan was to wrap them in 3/4" oak plywood and then use a corner moulding for the exposed edge and a cove moulding at the ceiling and walls where the beams meet.

I am looking for other suggestions as after testing that idea with some scrap pieces, I am not totally happy with it. There is also a column in the center of the beam that I would like to be slightly smaller than the beam itself. Might be a little dificult to accomplish as I have already attached 2x6 spf to the entire thing. I will try to attach some pictures later, I don't have them on me at the moment and I may have to resize them to meet the forum rules.

Anyway, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has any pics that would be really helpful as well.

Thanks,
Drew

[Jamie Buxton]

I'd rip pieces of the 3/4 ply somewhat wider than the flange on the bottom of the steel I-beam. I'd glue it to the beam with epoxy or polyester resin -- maybe the thick stuff which granite slab installers use. The edges would stick out beyond the steel to provide a place you can nail the wood sides.

[Art Mulder]

Drew,

Welcome to the creek.

You might get some ideas from this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44682

As to the plywood - what about mitering the edges, so you don't need the corner molding?

[Mike Goetzke]

I made these for a friend of mine - I made a matching newel post to match:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/th_IMG_1875_2_1_1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/IMG_1875_2_1_1.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/th_IMG_1876_1_1_1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/mbg/IMG_1876_1_1_1.jpg)

[Frank Snyder]

Drew,

I would frame out (soffit) the beam using 2x4's and frame around the pole as well. You can hang the soffit framing from the joists (use 3" wood screws). Make the soffit wider (16"+) so that the finished pole can fit within the width of the soffit. I've also concealed switches and outlets inside these poles. Depending on what kind of look you're going for, you could drywall or wrap plywood around the framed soffit, then build-up a nice wood column for the pole. I would also snug-up your bolts between the beam and the pole before you entomb them.

Hope this helps.

Frank

[Drew Pavlak]

Mike,

Those are awesome and exactly what I think I was looking for. Very simplistic design, but a real classy look IMO. Just a couple of questions though. Did you start with a plywood box and then add the stiles and trim, or the other way arround? Just curious, I might use this design in some other stuff I am looking at building in the near future.

Thanks for the Pics, those really helped a lot.

Drew

[patrick anderson]

Is there a partuclar reason why you want to use wood as drywall is easier /faster ?

[Chuck Hanger]

If trying to do it on the cheap side, frame it our of 1X3 firing strips and drywall. Will end up very solid. When I was (and still am) poor I done a complete rec room this way which had two beams across it. Worked well.
Chuck

[Drew Pavlak]

Here are the pics that I promised last week. Took me a little while, I had to resize them and find them.

As you can see the Drywall is all done and I have the post and beam roughed in. Drywall would have been easier, but it was not the look that I was going for. I want the beam to tie into the fireplace and some bookcases that I am going to build.

49641

49642

49643

49644

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Drew

[Michael Merrill]

I think I would consider what type of trim work the room is going to have and incorporate that as the facade to the post. If you just going with paint grade trim then trim accordingly and paint. If you are staining the strim then something like the panel idea shown above looks good to me.

[John Nixon]

Hi Drew,

I did archways between my posts in the basement. I think it came out great. It was a ton of work, but I feel it really sets the space apart from the typical finished basement.

http://www.tjupholstery.com/jwnixon/Carpentry/Archways/images/P1290018a.jpg

http://www.tjupholstery.com/jwnixon/Carpentry/Archways/images/P4290094.jpg

I wrapped the posts in MDF using a lock miter bit. They came out great - no seems and quite strong.

John Nixon
www.EagleLakeWoodworking.com

[patrick anderson]

nice job there mate

[Drew Pavlak]

John,

Nice job, I like that a lot. Had I actually planned for that. it would have looked nice. But I think I would loose too much ceiling height now.

On a side note....I am looking to use 2 contrasting woods for this. One reason is to save some money, other reason I think it might look nice.

Question is what should I use? I like the look of what Mike Goetzke built, and I think that if the inside panels were lighter and the outside stiles were darker that that is the look that I am trying to achieve. I have seen some Poplar stained to match Cherry, but how would that look on top of lets say Oak plywood stained a light color? Does Birch Ply stain well? Or maybe Ash and Oak. If anyone has any pics of anything contrasting like this I would be really interested in looking at them.

Thanks,
Drew