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Removing Load Bearing Wall

8 years ago

Hi ya'll.
We are removing part of a load bearing wall and adding a counter to create a breakfast bar/pass through type of situation. We have four small children, so I am looking for a place to keep an eye on them while they eat/do their homework, etc. but I am most looking forward to letting in the natural light from the dining room.
A couple of dilemmas:
1. Being that it is a load bearing wall, we plan to include a header and follow the crown moulding from the cabinets around to look even. We plan to include a weight bearing column at the end of the countertop but I am not sure how to deal with the moulding around the current doorway to the dining room. That doorway also abuts another doorway as well. Any ideas?
2. I was thinking of finding a slab of granite (or other material) in a lighter color to ease the transition between the darker cabinets and lighter dining room. I am not sure how to handle the situation with the different colors. The entire house has white mouldings/doors, etc. except for the kitchen. I am not sure how to create a transition from warm colors in the kitchen to the cool colors of the rest of the house. Perhaps changing the lighting from halogen lightbulbs will make the cabinets appear lighter? I am not sure what to do...any thoughts?

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Comments (7)

Suzanimal13
Original Author
8 years ago
Two doorways
Suzanimal13
Original Author
8 years ago
Dining room
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new plan - removing load bearing wall
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If expenses are a concern, then avoid moving the sink from underneath it's present window. Put that money that you would have spent doing that into putting a beam to remove the load bearing wall. Just moving the sink down to the other windows only to put a range in front of where the sink is currently makes no sense spacially or economically. If the goal is to open the kitchen up to the other rooms with a minimal amount of expense, then you should consider leaving some of the wall intact to have a smaller beam. This would actually extend the wall, and force some different traffic patterns such as walking through the dining room to the kitchen from the garage, etc. What this would do though, is drastically reduce the cost of taking down that wall because all of the spans that have the be done from point to point here can be done with smaller dimensional lumber rather than any beams. Smaller and shallower headers mean more visual height, and they mean that a one or two man construction crew can handle the job rather than having to have 5-6 handle the logistics of doing a large beam. And, since the only plumbing addition is a prep sink and you're not moving the cleanup sink, there is savings there as well.
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Removing load bearing wall
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If you are looking at LVL beams, you should have a table similar to this one, which gives you the guidelines for height and width of beam required. https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/application/files/8514/9517/9127/1484260463_TB-551.pdf Based on my reading of this table (maybe I'm not correct) you may need quite a bit taller or thicker beam for the span. You also need to determine how the load transfers to the floor underneath, and verify that it has sufficient strength. The original wall had multiple points in the floor evenly supporting this area, and now you will have a post that puts a much heavier direct load on a small area. You may need a basement support below, or thicker concrete under that post. Do your calculations and plan, and then hire a structural engineer to verify the calculations and sign off on the plan. This will reassure you, and keep the AJH happy. The reason I suggest getting the data together yourself first is that engineers don't all work on this type of homeowner construction job, and its better to simplify the question for them. If the engineer has to find the load tables for your specific brand of LVL beam, and do all the other data gathering himself/herself (find data on supports under the post, etc.), it will take that much longer. Bruce
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Your floor plan is already plenty open. You want it more so? Do you realize how much this is going to cost? It looks like you just bought the house. I suggest that you live there for a while. You may find that you like it just the way it is, especially when you see the bids for changing what the original architect designed. As an aside, your wallet will be much happier and fatter if you stop watching those home "improvement" television programs. They're designed to make you unhappy with your house so you'll give money to their sponsors, who already have more money than they need. Sorry for the rant. I'll get off my soapbox now.
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Removing load bearing walls
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Comments (4)
Yes we’re working with a designer now and then an engineer. Just hoping to see some ways its been done nicely as I’m feeling a bit deflated about it!
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Suzanimal13
Original Author
8 years ago
Other side of wall to be removed
lazy_gardens
8 years ago
If it's a load bearing wall ... talk to a structural engineer and a contractor to find out the options for replacing it.

After you know your options, then we can better discuss how they would look and affect the layout.
laughablemoments
8 years ago
You have a beautiful home.

Here are some Houzz pictures that might give you some thoughts for the trim work:

{{gwi:2135351}}

[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Bonita Springs General Contractors Harwick Homes

{{gwi:2135352}}

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Shane D. Inman

{{gwi:2135353}}

[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Woodbridge Architects & Building Designers Huestis Tucker Architects, LLC

{{gwi:2135354}}

[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by East Anglia Architects & Building Designers Paul D'Amico - Period Design

Do you plan to have some type of cabinetry or storage built in below the cutout, or will it be more like an interior window?
Suzanimal13
Original Author
8 years ago
My contractor has consulted with a structural engineer so we are all good there. I have an appt to talk with my contractor soon about details. Just want to be prepared.
rmtdoug
8 years ago
Is there a reason you have to put a support column in the space and not extend the beam all the way across the opening?

As Laughable showed in their first and third pictures, if you do have a column separating the opening from a doorway, it looks best to have a small bit of wall separating the two moldings. Even 1-2" will work. If you could extend the beam all way across and eliminate the column, that would be different and would only require the crown molding.

This post was edited by rmtdoug on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 14:09

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