• blog
• plans
• links
• home
To express an interest or book your place, email: build@bristol
greenhouse.co.uk
• Foundations
• Tyre walls
• Straw bale walls
• I-beam roof
• Living roof
• Clay/Lime render
• Insulation
• Earthbags
• Map
I-beam roof construction.
Timber I-beams also known as I-joists uses one sixth the wood of a conventional joist for the same strength. They are made of wood composites so can be made of younger, more sustainably sourced woods and they’re lighter and easier to cut too.
When I asked about sourcing them at my local timber merchants they all stroked their chins, drew in their breath and told me that I-beams were rubbish. When I pushed them further they revealed they had never even seen them. The idea was first developed in the 1940's, but only now are they becoming common. So what has held them back?
Price.
They are bloody pricey. When I come to fit the floor, I will do a direct price comparison with conventional beams, so watch this space.
Below; what happens when you get millimetres and metres mixed up.
