I have a main beam in my house, which was built in 1900, that has developed a crack across its 31-foot span. The cracking is more pronounced on one side, while the other side has minor cracking. It almost looks like the beam is caving in a bit. I've included pictures for reference: https://imgur.com/a/O85ldZX. Is this something I should be worried about, or is it a common issue?
3 Answers
From what you've described, it looks like typical checking rather than actual cracking. As wood dries, it can shrink unevenly, leading to these checks. Your pictures show it doesn't go all the way through, so it’s most likely just a normal characteristic of the wood rather than a structural problem.
It sounds like what you're seeing is checking, which is pretty common in beams like yours. The top of the beam goes through compression while the bottom is under tension, causing some minor cracks. It's usually nothing to stress over unless the beam starts to sag significantly, which doesn't seem to be the case here.
Yeah, that's pretty standard. Honestly, it’s been like that for ages—probably since before your grandparents were even born! Unless you see some serious sagging, I wouldn’t worry about it at all.
Totally agree! Checking happens in all kinds of wood, even when it's brand new.