Our house in northern NY has exposed 7"x7" beams that support the second floor. The house was built in 1983. We purchased it 5 years ago. At that time we noticed a slight separation at the joint of some of these beams. At the time the home inspector indicated it was normal for this type of construction.
It looks to me that the gap has increased slightly since then but I may just be paranoid. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures or measurements of the gap from the time of the inspection. Does this spacing seem normal or is it something to be concerned about? Would it be advisable to add decorative beam hangars to help stabilize these beams?
It seems to be just the two beams in the middle of the room and their corresponding beams in the hallway outside the room. The joints around the perimeter and elsewhere in the house aren’t showing the same gap.
Thank you for your help.