Opening up a Bathroom - What can I remove?

webgeek

Hi all; first post so please forgive me if I do something wrong. I'm remodeling a master bathroom and want to remove a door that separates the shower/toilet from the rest of the room. When I started digging into the sheetrock I realized there was a lot of wood used to frame this door and the shower - so much so that I'm a bit nervous to touch anything without some other opinion.

My ultimate goal is to remove everything I marked with a red X and make a half wall (shown where the top of the wall would be via the red horizontal bar) and then have a glassed in shower to replace the cheap fiberglass unit you can see now. The glass would have 10-14" or so before a corner goes into the side that contains the shower door. The idea is to really open the space up and take advantage of light from a beautiful window on the opposite wall (I was standing in front of it for the picture) and the very high ceilings.

One more thing of interest in the shot is the light gray vertical rectangle. That's the exhaust vent for the water heater and/or furnace. It's walled in pretty well and I have no intention of touching it. Finally, the right wall appears to be load bearing.

So my question is basically, can I do what I want? How many of those marked 2x4s can I remove? Why is it all so heavily built-up currently (particularly the top of the wall with the two sistered 2x4s?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Mike

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sausagefingers

Well the orange tabby can go....sorry I could't help myself.

joed

Can't tell for sure. Need to know what is in the ceiling above. However judging by the header over the door I would GUESS you can't remove it. It looks like it was designed to be holding up some weight. But looking at the colour of the wood in door frame compared to the wood to the right of it, it looks like the door frame was an addition at some point.
Further investigation in the ceiling/attic above is required.

Marvin Gardens

I agree. Can't tell from the photo if this is a bearing wall or not.

Need to look around and see what is above and below it.

Bearing walls have support below them to transfer the weight to the foundation that is easy to see most or the time.

Location of the bathroom within the house will also give you a clue.

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bradnailer

Just looking at the photo, it appears that the door is in a load bearing wall. You can remove what you've x'ed but you will more than likely need to build a header across the span which will reduce the head room.

If I were you, I'd suggest you contact a local remodeling contractor, and pay him to tell you the proper way to frame out this section.

ponch37300

Like mentioned more info is needed. One way to tell is be the direction of the rafters above this wall, if they run parrallel to this wall it is not load bearing, if they run perpindicular the wall may be load bearing but doesn't mean it is for sure. Taking a guess i would say it is not load bearing for the fact that there is no wall in line with this one in the room to the left.If it is not load bearing then you can rip everything out, you will have to relocate your electrical. I don't see this vent that you are talking about in your picture?

webgeek

He just might if he keeps jumping in that hole on the right!
The vent is the grey overlay on the far right of the image. I wasn't planning on cutting back that far so it shouldn't be affected.

I appreciate all the info everyone. The wall on the back-side of the bathroom IS load bearing as is the wall on the right (both have a correlating wall in the basement). There is no wall below the one I want to cut down in the basement. Thanks to all the input from everyone here I've got ahead and hired a carpenter to come out and check it out Wednesday and see what we can get away with. He doesn't think it's load bearing but he is going to go up in the attic to be certain. Thanks much!

P.S. The orange tabby found your comments offensive and is going to seek damages through legal channels - cat discrimination is a huge concern of his

Jack of most

Hard to say exactly. The metal in your wall is either a heat duct or a cold air return. This would have to stay or be relocated. You must also determine if this is a load bearing wall. If is NOT and you can relocate the duct work, then all of it can go. Not kitty. Looks like you'll need an electrician also.