Hi Folks, I'm sure this has been covered before, wasn't able to find it via search. I have a new construction home, with a ~16' tall garage. I'd like to build a storage mezzanine in the front. About 18.5" wide, 6-8' in length (undecided for sure at this point). It's a double garage, I'd like to span the entire width without any center posts. The perimeter of the garage is a 2x4 construction, so I could hide a post in that space. The issue is the garage is barely wide enough to fit 2 cars in, so any posts within the 18.5' would render the project useless. From my online research, it seems like an LVL beam would do the trick, but I have no experience with them. I'm reasonably handy otherwise. Suggestions? Need additional info? Thanks in advance.

[ATTACH]32872[/ATTACH] Hi all, I've attached an image of my kitchen floor. House is a 1909 Philly row home. Kitchen is last room in house. The house had a cantilevered section on the first and second floor. So the joists transition from running from common/shared/firewalls to perpendicular. There has been some settling of the foundation, so I will be doing some shimming or sistering where appropriate. The joists running from common wall to common was where held in place with structural planking, soon to be completely gone. I realize i need to do some blocking of cross bracing of the joists. Blocking will be easier for me, I think. The joists vary from 16" to 18" on center. [I]Any opinion on Blocking vs Cross Bracing?[/I] My plan is to insulate the joists as the kitchen sits above a garage, then use 3/4" plywood with a schuttler isolation membrane/floor heater, and then tile. Schuttler says 3/4 is fine, but most I've read says go for 1" or more for stability. [I]Is 3/4" too little? [/I] [I]Should I use the excess 2" x 3" wood I have from the demo to bridge the joists between one another? I imagine this will increase floor rigidity and reduce deflection, but am I introducing problems for expansion/contraction down the road?[/I] Also, the joists seem to be 3"x 10" or truely 9.5" tall. [I]Should I use fiberglass insulation in there or foam board? [/I] The spacing between the joist varies so much that I'll be cutting the fiberglass to fit. The Perpendicular joists for the cantilevered section are topped with wood that runs parallel with the main joists. Each is nailed down with a single large nail. In an effort to level the floor, I am planning to pull the nails, and shimming this cross piece level. [I]Is shimming those cross pieces a good/bad idea? I imagine In need to use plastic shims so they don't compress. Would I coat them in liquid nails?[/I] I'm sure I'll have lots more Qs as I still need to frame and insulate the exterior walls of the kitchen but I have a Framing Basics book to which I'm going to consult before bothering you fine folks:)