[Zero1000]

Typical CBS construction. 2 car garage. Hip roof. I have a normal 16' garage door that shows the front of the house. What I would like to do is add a 8' roll up door on one of the sides of the garage. I dont have access to blueprints, so I cant be for certain how many sticks of rebar are in the tie beam and I dont know if there are any downpours within the section where I would like to put this door.

Without knowing whats in the tiebeam and if there are any downpours, would it be foolish to cut it open for this door? Would the existing tiebeam be structural sound to hold the roof in this section and not crack and fall? Its only an 8'4" ceiling, so not sure I can add any type of reinforcing header.

What are your thoughts? Thanks

 

[Nealtw]

You would need a fair sized beam or maybe a small steel beam so maybe a 7 ft door.

 

[Zero1000]

Neal, when you say fair sized beam, do you mean in addition to what is there or the current beam would need to be fair sized? Currently the tiebeam is roughly 18"x 8".

If you meant 7' tall, I would have to cut the tiebeam down some, because current height off the floor is close 7' to bottom of tiebeam.

 

[Nealtw]

Neal, when you say fair sized beam, do you mean in addition to what is there or the current beam would need to be fair sized? Currently the tiebeam is roughly 18"x 8".

If you meant 7' tall, I would have to cut the tiebeam down some, because current height off the floor is close 7' to bottom of tiebeam.

I am not sure what you are calling tie beam, but i doubt it was designed to have most of it cut away and support a roof too. I would expect you to cut away what ever to the top of the wall and install a structural beam to support the roof.

 

[Zero1000]

I wasnt sure you were meaning cut away some of the beam and add steel beam in place of the cutaway beam to add strength. Though which you meant was adding to the existing beam, which I guess at that point Id have to get an engineer involved. I wouldnt want the opening any less than 6'8, which only leaves about 2 or so inches of steel beam to be placed in there and have no clue if that would be enough. Hmmm

 

[Old Thomas]

Where are you and what is your code required live load? I agree that the roof needs support but how much support depends on the anticipated load.

 

[Zero1000]

Thomas, Im in Southwest Florida. Not sure what you mean as to live load. Current load is where the hip jacks come off each corner of the roof. Id have to climb into the attic to see how far in the first full length truss starts.

 

[Nealtw]

Usually the girder will be 6 or 8 ft from the corner.

 

[Zero1000]

Hmm lets go with 8' for now, the door would come off the homes inside corner at the 2' mark. Then that means the girder would almost fall center of beam above door.

 

[Nealtw]

Hmm lets go with 8' for now, the door would come off the homes inside corner at the 2' mark. Then that means the girder would almost fall center of beam above door.

So that would mean more load on the beam. Unless the girder is going the other way.

 

[ChuckTin]

If you're in FL, as we are, you'd better be getting a hurricane proof roll-up!