Removing Load Baring wall

GerryA

I have a 2 story house with a basement, I want to remove the load bearing wall between the kitchen and dinning room. I am wondering if I could use 3 2x10(nailed and glued together), the furthest span between the supporting post will be 8 feet.
If 2X10's won't be sufficient then I will use 2X12 but I am trying to create an open consept so I am hopping that the 2X10 will be more than enough

joecaption

Unless someone was there on site to look this over it would it would not be a great idea to try and spec this over the net.

titanoman

Will it be supporting the floor only, or other walls/the roof?
3 2x10's x 8' is pretty beefy.
Good if it's just supporting floor joists.

ddawg16

I echo joe's opinion as well......several considerations have to also be looked at including what is down below and how the jack posts are going to be supported.

Yea....you need an Engineer to look at it.

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MarkusAIC

Without actually knowing what the load above is, one cannot say for sure. 8' is not a long span. The 2x10's should do it. However I would recommend going with an LVL instead. Unless you actually know how to properly bolt lumber together you can actually make the assembly less strong.
You do realize you need to build a temporary support wall next to the area to support the joists above prior to removing the load bearing wall right?
If the joists are continuous run and the load above isn't tremendous a simple 2x4 wall will be sufficient. If the joists above are cut and lap on top of the load bearing wall then you will need to install a temporary support wall on either side.

Gymschu

Hopefully, you have a friend that's an engineer.

Beepster

Just do it already.

I saw them do it on DIY channel's "Disaster House". Didn't turn out that bad. Just sagging ceilings, roofs, etc.

B

Daniel Holzman

I know you are anxious to save the cost of hiring an engineer or architect to size the beam for you. This topic comes up repeatedly on this forum, and I suspect a lot of people are suspicious of engineers, think they charge too much, don't know where to find one, think sizing a beam is too easy to need a professional etc.

I put in an 11 foot long beam separating my kitchen and living room. As a structural engineer, I am legally allowed to design my own beam, submit the plans to the building inspector, and pull a permit. Maybe in your jurisdiction you can do structural work without a permit, but I don't recommend it.

Sizing the beam is only part of the issue. You need adequate support on both sides, carried down to a suitable support in the basement, which could require a footer, or maybe you can support the jack studs on a basement beam. If so, you need to perform an analysis of the basement beam to make sure it can carry the load, since you are likely converting a distributed wall load to a pair of point loads. You also need to design the connections correctly, especially if your house is subject to seismic (earthquake) loading.

My suggestion is to spring for a few hundred dollars to hire a local structural engineer to design the system for you, and give some practical advice on temporary support during installation. Alternatively, you may be able to get a local lumber yard to include the cost of design in the price for an engineered lumber beam they sell you.

woodworkbykirk

i dont know how many times ive gone in to renovate a house that had been renovated 25 years earlier by someone who didnt know what they are doing.. removing bearing walls. then i come in to find the ceilings have a 2" sag in the middle and it ends up costing the home owner an extra $3k for us to jack up the 2nd floor so their new kitchen ceiling will be level

whats my point HIRE THE ENGINEER! dont risk the saftey of yourself and your family in the biggest investment you'll make in your life your house..

builttolast

If I do a remodel and they want a Load bearing wall ripped out for an "open" concept, I call an engineer and gladly pay the few hundred bucks. A few hundred NOW is better than a few THOUSAND later when things start to sag and fall apart...

Nailbags

let me guess you have not ran this by the local building dept.? Nor have you sought out a permit for the work? That would be the first place to go to get the answer your seeking.

AndyGump

You know guys that the IRC is accepted in most places as the proper code with some local changes. Most of this stuff is in there if you know where to look for it.
There are rafter and joists spans for houses that are up top three stories. Beam and header sizes too for most applications that you are bound to run into.
Hiring an engineer might be the best thing to do in a given situation but not always the only thing.
If you come up with a design you then run it through the local Building Department and get their O.K. you will be good to go.

Andy.

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