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Remodeling Design Dilemma

Two columns and a beam to support load bearing beam?oun

6 years ago

I am in the process of planning an extensive renovation of my house, which will include replacing a large load bearing wall with a steel structural beam. Due to the length of the span, a pillar will be required in the middle of where I plan to have a kitchen island.

If I were to do a large cased opening with a beam perpendicular to the load bearing beam, would that allow me to either place two support beams on either end of the island or eliminate that one column altogether? In theory, the main load bearing beam would then be supported by the perpendicular beam in the cased opening.

I’ve attached a general layout of my house. This is off a few feet, but should give you an idea. I plan to put a beam in that spans the length of the living area (those four rooms), and will have to have a column where the four walls currently meet. The kitchen will be combined wkth the current dining/kitchen and will have a big island around where those four walls meet.

Could two columns with a beam between instead of one column in middle to support the beam?

Featured Answer

richfield95

6 years ago

It depends on several things including what is underneath your kitchen. You would need an engineer or architect to assess it and size the beams and columns.

Comments (6)

latifolia
6 years ago
Can’t imagine anyone but a structural engineer who has seen your home can answer this. However, just about any option that does not have a pillar in the middle of your kitchen island sounds better than that plan.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
6 years ago
This is best answered by a structual engineer not by this forum.
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
You need a structural engineer. Posts need footings. You’ll need to dig footings. Steel is stronger than glue lam, and smaller. It will not need intermediate support if designed correctly. Steel is always the answer. Along with a work crew that has experience with it. NOT DIYable.

Structural work is like racing. How much you want it to be invisible depends on how much money you have. How fast do you want to go? Pony it up. A 300K level remodel is going to bleed it at every opportunity. This is where you need the experienced architect and GC and let them do their jobs.
Bruce in Northern Virginia
6 years ago
We were able to span about 18-20 feet with a double laminated (LVL) beam, and our contractor simply looked it up in a manufacturers table to find out what size beam was required for the distance. However, what the structural engineer looked at was how the 2nd floor load on the beam was transferred to the basement below. Luckily, all the posts installed on the 1st floor were directly on top of a steel beam in the basement, which was supported by steel columns on top of cement footings.

Bruce
User
6 years ago
Without seeing the situation in person, I wouldn't even make a guess. You need to get a structural engineer.

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