Modifying A Load Bearing Wall.

genecarp

NO, i agree with your logic

__________________

neolitic

Ask anyone you see
at Home Despot.

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

Double-A

I respectfully disagree. We do have an engineer consult on structural issues. We do this to protect ourselves and our clients. Common sense is fine. Experience has its place, but neither can take the place of due diligence in protecting our clients, our company and our families from the liabilities of ego and caviler attitudes.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

rbsremodeling

Where I am at anything that modifies a houses' structure has to have a drawing that is stamp showing an approved method of construction.

Do i know how to install a header or modify and opening. In most cases Yes. But the rules require that an architect or engineer review, draw and stamp a drawing that is approved before the work is done.

It sucks but that is the rule and in order to stay in compliance and not loose my license this is the way it is done

__________________

wall2wall

Alright this is more of what I was looking for I will take some pics and post them on here tomorrow. I too believe in most cases doing a simple header is easy.... But again my dilema is that this a simple header thanks all for ur post I will talk to you tomorrow

wallmaxx

You can do it anyway you want.
If you ask on a DIY site you will get all kinds of good answers.

On this site, you will find men who do this kind of thing for a living, as professional contractors.

I for one, make it a rule to never BID without walking the terrain, and I NEVER diagnose someones framing issues without seeing the thing myself.

It inevitably seems that what a person tells me and what I actually SEE are two different things. It's not their fault. It's not that I am some framing genius.

I just know what to look for as far as structural framing goes and they don't.

On a site like this I am very cognizant that the person posting is not looking at the situation like I would. Now if my neighbor (a framing master) was to post a question...I could safely make assumptions that he HAS looked at everything involved the way I would, so I could make suggestions that would be valid.

I'm sorry that most everyone won't suggest a solution for you or validate your solution...but its not as simple as saying..."sounds okay...go ahead."

I don't mind giving free help on occasion...but what I won't do, is make a suggestion that turns out to be wrong and / or dangerous based on incomplete information.

I do hope it all works out for you. If you have a framing sub...pay the guy to look at it and get 'r' done.

maceycon

I bought a hammer, a box of nails and hatchet at Home depot today. Someone asked me to put an addition on their house. I was the cheapest around and won the bid. Can someone tell me what to do next.

wall2wall

well i tried to post some links to pics that i took and i need a total of 15 posts to add any links to other sites im sure to stop spammers from just adding links to annoy everyone. i can email them if you want me to. just let me know a email if you do.

neolitic

If you type the link
without the "www." we can
probably figure it out.

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

BuriedHammer

Once you get 1/2 or more (100% is best) of the contract price up front, go back to Home Depot and buy more tools, stop at the dealership and grab a new dually, then head for Hooters. Worry about the addition later.

P.S. The hatchet was a good choice for a starter carpenter's set.

wall2wall

nope that didnt work either

wall2wall

if i can get these pics to work you can see some crown i did in the kitchen pic.

precisionbuild

and without the ".com"

Aggie67

Wall2wall,

I'm one those licensed engineers. I live in Somerset County. How far away are you? This can be settled pretty quickly.

maceycon

I knew there was I reason I keep coming back. I would have forgotten the dually, but not Hooters

maceycon

Ok so you have a 11' wall with a 12' ceiling? That's confusing in itself. Is it balloon framing or platform? If it is stick framing than the 8' wall should be sitting on top of the plate and then a short wall on top of that making up your 11' wall. If it is balloon framing than you have 11' walls with a rim joist let-in to the wall connecting your joist. Either way you are carrying the weight of a floor, a roof and a ceiling in that opening. You need to go to your code book and find out what size header you need. In Mass you need 2 2 X 10 with 2 jacks studs on each side for a 6'1" opening if the building is 20' or less wide snowload would be 30 psf . Again that is MA. You could also use a LVL check with your lumber yard. As far as temp supports you would be stupid if you didn't. I don't really understand how the load going to the basement would change by cutting in the opening. It is totally possible I am misunderstanding your situation.

You are not going to save your sister any money if the floor comes down on your head. If that is all sitting on 2 2 X10 in the basement that is not adequate. Unless it is a very short span. No offense, but it sounds like you are over your head.

critter

wall2wall, I sympathize with your need for guidance with this project. I am not sure if we have even established how much of a bearing wall this is. You first need to tell us if the ceiling joists on either side of the wall are parallel or perpedicular to the wall. If they are perpendicular to the wall, it is bearing both floor loads. If one is parallel and one perpendicular, a bit less load. Does the wall in question align with roof eaves, roof gable, or is it an interior wall? It sounds like a kitchen addition on the side of an older, high-ceiling home, but we need this information to even begin. And yes, you will need to install planking and temporary support studs during the wall work either way, just to eliminate movement and possible upper damage (not to mention avoiding being crushed to a quivering bloody pulp.)

wall2wall

Ok yes the joist run perpendicular to the load bearing wall, macey if you read the first part right its says 11ft wall width from and 12ft ceilings i thought that was described exactly how it was, but let me refraise so im on the same page as everyone else the wall is 11ft from left the right and up and down its 12ft high. With that said the ceiling at the top of the 12ft high wall goes out about 7ft then curves down to a 8ft sheetrock wall on the other side of that room so it looks like a arch going up to a flat ceiling i will try and post some pics since they would be much better only 5 more post til i can do that. So that is the living room... the 11 by 12high wall is where the opening will be on the other side of the opening its a standard 8ft ceiling and that is the kitchen area that ties into the 11x12ft wall im making the opening in. The biggest question i have lets forget everything else i know the headers are fine, but the load being distributed down. I was always under the impression that when you have a stick framing the load is dispersed among all the studs and when you take those studs out it changes distribution to the jack studs the headers are sitting on thus needing more support in the area under that pt. in my case the basement because now instead of the weight being evenly distributed it is concentrated on that pt on the joist below. Let me know if that is any better. Again it will be much easier with pics and i will get them up as soon as i can.

Burby

It sure will be more helpful with pics & yes if you are over a carry beam below, you will need to know where your intended stud jacks will be to install solid blocking from the beam to the floor bottom to prevent sagging between joist. Drill a pilot hole in the center of the wall plate once drywall is removed, hang a piece of wire thru the hole & go below to see, measure & block as needed.
But also need to measure distance from column or pier supporting carry beam towhere your intended studs & jacks will be, once load is determined will know if an additional column/pier is needed.
Also take a pic outside to show the roof line in reference to the wall you are talking bout.
I've built a few homes like this where the one side of the house had an 8 ft exterior wall, opposite side had a 2 story wall.
Interior had 8 ceiling ht on the back, then elevated as you went to the front rooms and we did the barrel ceiling just as a design transition from 8 to 12 ft ceilings.
It looked good..

__________________
Proud to help make a house your Home

Never judge another by one's own intelligence

wall2wall

ok i will post some pics when i can i only took inside pics as well so i will get some of the outside so you can see what it is from an outside perspective.