Beamsplitter working principle

No, it’s perfectly normal and safe (based upon what is visible in the pic). Now if those ‘checks/splits’ were to be in a different location, ie. the direction of the timber’s upper or lower edge, it may have a different answer…

It would be very unusual for a sawn beam of that size not to have significant checking cracks from the drying/shinkage process.

Woodbeam splitting

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Beam splittingtypes

Use these universal objectives for routine research. Zeiss™ A-Plan Objectives provide rich contrast and can be used with eyepieces with a field of view up to 23mm.

Checks and splits are common in wooden timbers and dimension lumber. In most instances they are acceptable under the current grading rules for timbers and lumber, except in certain circumstances.

Is this split horizontal main beam supporting supporting the 2nd floor a cause for concern? The beam cracks permeated from wall to wall. I see this condition quite a bit here in California in 2 story homes built in the 1980’s. Some conditions are worse, some not. My recommendation is usually to get a second opinion from a licensed Structural engineer until I was told recently, by another inspector (who’s not a licensed Structural engineer) that its nothing to worry about. His reasoning- “its commonly due to wood dryness, shrinkage, and stress”. I sided with this inspector based on my findings and decided not to recommended a second opinion this go around. My findings were: there were no Structural cracks in the surrounding IMG_20200518_1530404032×3024 3.35 MB walls and ceilings above, the upstairs floors were level and the beam was not displaced. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.