Can you repair a rusted I beam supporting a concrete slab?

Question

I just bought a home that has a One car garage off the basement and a porch above the garage. On the ceiling of the garage there are Steel beams supporting the porch slab. One of the beams is very corroded and rusted, the others are ok. Some of the concrete is deterating aroung the rusted beam. The majority of the beams seem to be in good shape except for the one. What are my options beside rebuilding the entire structure. I want this to be safe but can't afford to rebuild? Any experts out there please help.

Thanks

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with this beam.  It needs to be cleaned free of dirt and rust, primed with a solvent primer, painted with a solvent paint, and then caulked to keep moisture away.  Do some tuck pointing around the deteriorating concrete and seal this as well with a quality concrete sealer.  You will be amazed how inexpensive this will be.

Answer 2

it may just be rust buildup on the beam.... go up and phisicalytouch it and scrap the beam.... tap with a hammer... did it dent or just make alot of noise....... if it is very solid just get some primmer paint and paint it and then cover with whatever color you want....... if hammer breaks through beam you need it to be reenforced with some new steel U-beams on each side ,,,,, welded accross the area about 3 to 5 ft on each side, and then do the painting as you would like on a car, primmer then paint to seal it from moisture!!

But I highly doubt that anything is that bad , so just by cleaning it and painting it .... you should be just fine!!

Answer 3

It's hard to tell without seeing it. The thing to do is to get a licensed engineer to look at it. This may affect your homeowner insurance.

Answer 4

The rusted beam, in combination with deteriorating concrete sounds like a moisture problem.... it may be necessary to do more than just replace the beam.

Certainly, replacing the beam is possible.  The old can be removed, and a new one set in place.

I'm surprised a home inspection didnt require this to be taken care of before you bought the home.  If you failed to have the home inspected, then consider this an expensive lesson.

You should have some structural engineers come out and give you some estimates on what needs to be done, and the cost.  The first thing they will check on, is how sound that beam is.  If the rust is only cosmetic, then some scraping and painting will do, and this you could do yourself.  If it is unsound tho, then it will have to be taken care of by them.  Not just because of the tools and equipment involved, but also for your homeowner's insurance.

Good Luck