Load bearing wall vs steel beam support
neau123
11 years ago
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11 years agoneau123
11 years agoRelated Discussions
load bearing wall support
Comments (1)Hi, Like I always say when questions of this nature come up-- consult a structural engineer, in this case one with a familiarity with old houses. The engineer will most likely specify steel. Why? Because it will not shrink, twist or sag over time, any of which will lead to unwanted movement and shifting in the wall above. Wood is ill-suited to this application. You will probably support the wall temporarily by cutting holes in it for shoring beams (2 or 3?) to be inserted supported by temporary posts, all of which shall bear weight to the ground (not the floor). This will allow the lintel to be inserted and pointing to be done, then the shoring can be removed and the holes filled back in. What you want isn't unreasonable, and is probably being done with an eye toward opening up some space, but in a brick house that doesn't come easily. Casey...See MoreNeed Support When Installing Short Header on Load Bearing Wall??
Comments (16)Gee, Renovator, sorry to have taken up SO MUCH OF YOUR VALUABLE TIME. I confirmed that the wall is load bearing, and in the demolition noticed that the single 2 x 4 header over the existing swing door had a SLIGHT downnward bow in it, which means that that opening should also have been headed off by something more substantial than a single two by four during the original construction 15 years ago. The deflection wasn't (yet) enough to impede or cause any visible problems with the swing door. Hollysprings, still waiting for that method to calculate the load. In the mean time, through some internet research have found that a 2x6 header is adequate to support a conventionally framed unoccupied attic for my rough opening of 49-1/4"....See MoreReplacing a load bearing wall with a beam in the attic
Comments (9)Thanks for the input. My house is a ranch, so there's nothing to support above it, but the roof. We're taking out a load bearing wall that separates the living room from dining room, and the contractor will replace this with a flush beam. One end of the beam will be supported by an outside wall and the other end will terminate on a small wall that sits over a post in the basement. I get the feeling that my contractor has done this a lot and feels pretty comfortable with that arrangement. Meanwhile, I've noticed that my living room runs the full width of the house (24') with no support other than a homemade truss arrangement for the roof, that I understand was common in the early 1960's. This arrangement has stood the test of time, so I guess it's okay, but I still get a bit nervous when there's a large amount of snow on the roof. I had asked the contractor about installing a beam over the living room as well, but he was a bit more hesitant about that, and merely said he would look at it when he starts the kitchen work. So I guess the answer is that an engineer would be needed to decide if/how additional support could be provided in the living room. That's probably why my contractor is hesitant to give me a firm answer....See MoreRemoving load bearing wall... beam above or below ceiling???
Comments (7)Josh it really depends on the space. To use the example of my personal home... on the first floor we already had one beam below the ceiling that was real, so on the main level it made sense that the two additional beams would be below the ceiling to create a rhythm that subtly defined the spaces. In my bedroom (formerly two incredibly tiny bedrooms and a bath) we wanted it to feel like one room so we had the beams installed above the ceiling plane. In your case based on one photo I would say above the ceiling......See Moreneau123
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