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Creating passageway through cinder block wall ...?

7K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  stuart45 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey, I found your site during a google search. I am looking for information on the steps to remove a section of cinder block wall between two rooms so it can just be a finished opening between two interior rooms.

I just purchased a ranch home with cinder block construction that originally had an attached garage. The garage has been converted to a functional interior room long before my arrival. Due to the layout of the house, this room is probably the main entrance way, but only has access to the rest of the house through one small door in the back that would have originally given people access to the garage.

Therefore I would like to open up the wall between the living room and this former garage area. I am looking to open up a 3ft wide section, clearing it from floor to ceiling. I wont be installing a door or anything, and there are no outlets, heating ducts, etc on this section of wall, its just a block wall with painted drywall on either side.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
#3 ·
Yes, it is a single story house. I dont know if it is a load bearing wall.

I dont have a picture here at work that would explain it very well, but from this picture, you would walk through that open screen door, and the wall in question is on your left. The living room, where you see the front windows, is on the other side of the wall. I would like to be able to walk into that front door and just turn left into the living room.


 
#4 ·
From the picture I see: the roof structure of the room with the screen door someone is standing at shows me that the wall to the right of the man is a weight bearing wall. IF this is the block wall you are wanting to cut a section out of, I would not cut anything out of this wall without having the proper Engineer look into this. Notice the way the ridge of the room with the screen door runs. This indicates to me that all of the rafters of this room rest on this block wall on this side, which makes is weight bearing. IF that is a block wall it is covered on the exterior with some type of siding with vertical grooves, isn't it? But, as I stated, I would have an Engineer look into this, BEFORE I cut out anything. Good Luck, David
 
#6 ·
Yes it does appear to be load bearing. I went into the crawl space and the rafters seem to go right to it. I'm also going to have about a 36"-40" opening that is clear of any pipes or wires, so thats the size I will go with. How does the procedure for cutting this wall change now that its load bearing? Just that it will need a header put in?
 
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