What do you think of this idea for a load-bearing wall? Will it work?
Some of you have been kind enough to provide me with ideas to address my kitchen remodeling concerns. I am here to pose another question and hope the drawings I made with help illustrate what I am asking. (My other post is HERE.)
Here is my current load-bearing wall with the fridge placement:
So I have more space in my kitchen, I am thinking about recessing the fridge (I don't think I want a counter-depth fridge), removing the pocket door and opening up the doorway, like this:
I would bump into the dining room about two feet (I rarely use the dining room), add shallow pantries facing into the kitchen and then cabinets/built-ins facing into the dining room. I may even add a cabinet perpendicular to the fridge facing into the door opening so I could store cleaning items there but also to improve the transition between the two rooms.
Do you think this would work? I am hoping it would be aesthetically pleasing, open up the walkway in front of the fridge, provide some storage in both rooms, and cost less than putting a full beam in. Is this structurally possible? How do you think it would look?
Comments (9)
rantontoo
5 years agoRelated Discussions
ducting range hood inside a non-load bearing stud wall
Comments (18)"Have you thought of changing the wall studs to 2x6" rather than 2x4"?" I don't wish to destroy the wall on the far side. I have a large map wallpapered to the other side. I could build out with a false wall for some additional distance, but I don't see that as necessary since I can do at least 3-1/2"x14" (almost equivalent to a 8" round duct). Plus, I found a standard "Straight Register Boot" to transition to 8" diameter. I believe 3-1/2x14" equates to about .05 friction loss for five feet). I just don't know what 2200-2500 FPM will equate to in sound level at the hood. I foresee cutting a 4x15 opening (or bigger), at the back of the hood. I am re-reading rjpjnk's post and I remind you I only have five straight feet till it feeds straight into the fan venturi. I found this is an engineering handbook: Duct velocity should be between 1500 and 4000 FPM  Hood velocities (not less than 50 FPM over face area between hood and cooking surface)  Wall Type - 80 CFM/ft2  Island Type - 125 CFM/ft2  Extend hood beyond cook surface 0.4 x distance between hood and cooking surface Filters  Select ï¬lter velocity between 100 - 400 FPM  Determine number of ï¬lters required from a manufacturerÂs data (usually 2 CFM exhaust for each sq. in. of ï¬lter area maximum)  Install filters at 45 - 60°to horizontal, never horizontal Using this as a guide I think an average 400 CFM for general-purpose venting @ 1500 FPM means that I am well covered with a variable speed 1000 CFM external fan and 8" duct area. I'm guessing that at 1500 FPM it will be pretty quiet. The old Vent-a-Hood units are supposed to deliver 300 CFM each and I usually only use one. They are super noisy at near my ear level and 18 inches away. The air passes through a 3-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangular opening! That's small and seems to equate to almost 3000 FPM! I guess it's no wonder they're so noisy... Am I missing anything? Bad calculations or asumptions?...See MoreQuestion: Load bearing walls and poured-wall basement
Comments (12)building off of what renovator said, if you have load bearing walls on the first floor, you need to align structure below them in the basement. This can be beams or walls. Frame walls will be your cheapest option in most cases. However if you do not want a wall there, then price is not always the driving factor. However if you are a single story plus a basement, you shouldn't have too many first floor interior bearing walls. If you use steel or LVL beams, they must be sized to carry the first floor load as well as the loads placed on the first floor (2nd floor and possibly roof loads). As you can guess, this can make wood beams, even built up, quite deep. Steel might be your best bet here if you have longer spans between columns in your basement to keep head room heights at ideal levels. I tend to disagree with the claim in wood costing more then steel. Steel will cost more then wood in most cases. The post can be hidden inside walls (why would you do this? save the money and make the wall bearing! unless of course you have a very high point load) or they can be boxed out and made decorative. I joists should actually be cheaper then a floor truss, but typically cost a little more then solid 2x8-12 framing. However IMO, I joists are far superior. They can be had in very long spans so they can lay a continuous 30'+ joist across your load bearing beams/walls and allow for straighter and faster construction. Also, depending on the depth of them and the spacing, they can easily clear span 20'+. Plus they are a "greener" product. Trusses will cost more, but the benefit you have there is the web openings to allow easy smaller duct runs and electrical access....See MoreDo I need to remove load bearing wall,/bump back the cabinets/pantry?
Comments (13)Ok. Let me try this again. I have color-coded the drawing to help explain what I am asking. What I am trying to accomplish is to have the benefit of extra space without totally removing the load-bearing wall. With the island I would like to put in, I won't have a wide enough walkway if I line the load-bearing wall with cabinets. However, I was thinking that I might be able to keep the support from the load-bearing wall, place a pantry, closets or cabinets around the supports for that wall, and create a non-load bearing wall behind it. Sort of bumping the wall back without losing the structural integrity it provides and without the cost of removing it, especially because I would need to put up another wall between the dining room and kitchen, even if it is not as long. Otherwise, there is nowhere to put the fridge. This means I would lose some space in the dining room, but we don't use it more than 1-2/times per year. I am attaching some photos of my very ugly current kitchen to give you a better idea of the current layout. At this point, I am wondering if this idea has any merit before I move into other floor plans for the space. I really, really want the big island but am not sure if it is feasible. 1. View from dining room into kitchen: view from front hallway near stairway 3.kitchen from family room 4. view of load-bearing wall from kitchen toward the dining room 5. another view of load-bearing wall 6. from garage entrance into kitchen 8.from bay window area toward load-bearing wall If there are other views you would like to see, please let me know....See MoreIs my wall load bearing? hesitant on removing the wall.
Comments (5)Your picture seems to show 2x4s, a doubled sill plate, a gap, then a header. If that header spans from an exterior wall to an exterior wall, the 2x4s and doubled sill plate aren't doing any work other than holding up drywall....See More
zmith
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKatie66,
I've read most of the posts, but if my suggestion has been posed already, I apologize for the duplication.
If you don't use your dining room, what about rerouting the traffic flow
through it from the garage via a side door as illustrated below.
Without a floor plan of your kitchen with all appliances shown it's hard to say if the refrigerator location would work.
This gives you a wide open L-shape where you could possibly fit your desired island.
mtnmom9
5 years agokatie66
5 years agomtnmom9
5 years agoJ G
5 years agokatie-
I am mostly responding to the concerns in your other thread here. First of all, I certainly emphasize with the strain of not being able to figure out how to make the layout work, or how to hire the people you need when budget is a concern. We have been *thinking of* doing our kitchen for seven years while we try to figure it out!In terms of your stress level, I would encourage you to think about whether it is the actual kitchen condition that is causing you stress, or it is the project that is causing you stress...in which case it might be best to sit back and try to make your kitchen workable so that you have a little breathing room. Trying to just get it done may end up costing more to get less of what you want. I assume you are waiting to replace your microwave because you want to buy a new one with the built in look...but we were able to pick up a used microwave for $25 on craigslist (which we have now used for 6 years...it is good we picked it up). A garbage disposal replacement is usual a DIY install...and the new disposal should be able to be installed in your new kitchen...my hubby (who is a chemistry professor but likes DIY) also has installed dishwashers if you know that appliances you want. That does not solve the open sofits and cealing, but it does make the kitchen more functional.
I think pictures would help me visualize the spaces more, but I am going to be the odd man out and say that I think trying to recess your fridge into the dining room is going to eat up a lot of your budget, and I am not completely sure what you are going to gain. I think your concern is that your fridge is sticking too far into the highly trafficked space.
Do you have any built in pieces that make the "living room" the living room, the dining room the dining room and the family room the family room? I think I would try to turn the dining room in the "living room" (or the family room kids hangout space with the door that closes!). Then you could put in a large island with sink running the long direction of the house (or leave your sink) , put your fridge between the french door and the low window with a pantry (or counterspace next to it) and leave the stove where it is. You could then put your dining table in the living room (but have bar seating on the island) and even set up a small seating area in your new dining room...our house is probably a very different style than yours, but our little couch at the end of our dining room is quite popular! (It's in an alcove, but you see our chandelier and built in china closet...it is very much part of the dining room...you might even be able to put in a built in bench under your low window).
I have certainly found the staring over phenomenon quite difficult...especially because everyone does things differently. Our first quote came back "no structural engineer required," the second contractor wanted us to hire a structural engineer before he wrote the quote (although he did say he would most likely correctly guess what needed to be done), the architect we talked to would bring a structural engineer and start boring in the walls. The third contractor said he would open up the walls, and then have the engineer come make drawings if we wanted...he said that we could go either way but the permitting would be much easier with a stamped engineers drawing. Each contractor uses a different cabinet sales person that sells a different line of cabinets!
Have you tried home depot or cliqstudios or something similar? I went to home depot and met with the designer...they gave me a ballpark figure but said I would have to pay $100 for a measure to get an actual design/quote, but the kitchen designer I met with was very helpful and gave me some good ideas. The $100 would be applied to the install...we need a gut to update knob and tube wire etc so we are not doing home depot install. I talked to cliqstudioes today and I am curious with what they come up with.I have also found it really helpful to look at real estate photos of similar houses to mine to see how they updated the kitchen...they are more consistent with the style, budget and layout constraints of my project than the Houzz photos are.
Joseph Corlett, LLC