Hi guys - this is my first post. I've been reading the Electrical Forum for about a year, but came up with a question of my own.
I would like to add three skylights in my living room which is 13' wide by 20+' long. The house is a one floor rectangle (40' long by 26' wide) with the main support beam running down the center with four metal supports in the basement. There is an attic (6.5' high at the midpoint then sloped down toward the front and back to the gutters. The house is basically split down the middle with rooms at 13' by whatever.
What I would like to do, if possible, is remove a section of the living room ceiling to match my bay window (10' wide) and expose the joists above - install skylights and have them illuminate the living room. I want to run new walls up to the pitched roof essentially creating a sloped box from the skylights down to the living room.
Can the exposed joists (having no vertical load on them) be "sistered" up so that the openings could be doubled in size (instead of 16" O.C.) to give a more appealing look without effecting the "horizontal" support they currently provide?
I was even thinking about maybe staining/painting them.
Thanks in Advance
Eric
I added a quick layout of the house with the joists shown that I want to remove (and frame around if I can) or "sister" (while removing every other one) and paint/stain to make them more decorative.
If I can remove them and frame around forming a box (doubled up 2x8's on all sides), the size would be approximately 10' long by 8-9' wide.
What would be the best is if I can remove them altogether for a vaulted ceiling
I would like to add three skylights in my living room which is 13' wide by 20+' long. The house is a one floor rectangle (40' long by 26' wide) with the main support beam running down the center with four metal supports in the basement. There is an attic (6.5' high at the midpoint then sloped down toward the front and back to the gutters. The house is basically split down the middle with rooms at 13' by whatever.
What I would like to do, if possible, is remove a section of the living room ceiling to match my bay window (10' wide) and expose the joists above - install skylights and have them illuminate the living room. I want to run new walls up to the pitched roof essentially creating a sloped box from the skylights down to the living room.
Can the exposed joists (having no vertical load on them) be "sistered" up so that the openings could be doubled in size (instead of 16" O.C.) to give a more appealing look without effecting the "horizontal" support they currently provide?
I was even thinking about maybe staining/painting them.
Thanks in Advance
Eric
I added a quick layout of the house with the joists shown that I want to remove (and frame around if I can) or "sister" (while removing every other one) and paint/stain to make them more decorative.
If I can remove them and frame around forming a box (doubled up 2x8's on all sides), the size would be approximately 10' long by 8-9' wide.
What would be the best is if I can remove them altogether for a vaulted ceiling