I think you are talking about the bell at the top of the fan sticks out wider than the beam. That's purely an aesthetic thing provided you use a proper box above it.

Can you get a different fan with a smaller base? I would do that before having them rewrap the beam and delaying the project. I don’t think its a safety hazard but I think it wont look that good overhanging the sides of the beam.

Depending on where on the beam it is hanging, you might consider further building out the beam with a decorative wrap just in that one spot, something about a foot in length. You could wrap the bottom of the beam as well as both sides, and, if you used an interesting molding to dress up the edges of the material wrapping the beam, it would look intentional. If you used 3/4" thick material it would make the beam 7" wide at that point, and solve the mismatch between the fan base size and the beam width.

I was just thinking what Kudzu was saying. Just make the beam appear to be a bit wider in that area.

I had a similar problem - the builder had run the cable through the beam, but didn't make a recess for the box. I mounted a standard fan box on the beam, and the base didn't go all the way to the beam itself. The beam is slightly wider than the base, but you see a gap between the edge of the base and the beam. Should I have used a shallower box? I didn't see any that were fan rated. The beam is structural and the builder routed a slot in the top for the wire.

Regarding this post, what is a "wrap"?

Mtvhike - A “bean wrap” is 3 panels of wood seamed together in the shape of a U. It fits over our existing beam which is narrow and not decorative. The purpose of this wrap was to make the beam look a little heftier and to use wood that will look nice when stained. It does look heftier but isn’t quite wide enough. I think the necessary dimensions were overlooked or not communicated well to the framer who built it.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Getting a new fan is out of the picture we purchased this fan a couple of months ago and really like the size/style. I did consider adding a piece of wood right in the center. I wish I could find an example online. I like the clean simple look and didn’t really want to add too much detail to this beam. We are staining this and so would need to find the same type of wood In thinner sheets if we do that. That does sound like a good solution...but I keep thinking that it’s not my fault that the beam didn’t get made to my requested dimensions and why should I have to settle when we had it made custom to fit the fan? Then I wonder if I’m being too picky.

So the person who made the beam messed up? Then it's that person's obligation to make the correction. Just my $.02

MTVhike - I purchased the planks that I had them delivered to the framer. The bottom plank was 1”x 8” wide (which apparently is really about 7.25” wide). I figured it was the right size. My contractor told me that the framer made it as large as he could with the board that was provided (5.5”). Is it true that the sides have to be trimmed down? Or does that sound like a cover up? At the very least, we should have been informed before he started so we could provide another board.

It sounds like he cut down the wrap material to make a tighter fit around the structure in the ceiling (manufactured beam?). It doesn't make sense to me that he couldn't fur it out on each side and make it the full width of 7.25" from a 1x8, but maybe your contractor can explain it.

Bruce

How wide is your canopy? Of course, the bottom plank must be at least as wide as that, and the original beam (floor joist?) must be fir-ed out to that width with side planks.