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Home Addition - Stuctural Support

575 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  3onthetree 
#1 ·
Greetings, all! First time poster but long time DIYer. Although, I'm afraid this is above my pay grade.

Our house is a raised ranch modular home (two pre-built halves connected on-site) sitting on a half basement. There is a ceiling beam that runs through the center of our home at the marriage line that is supported at both ends of the house. I assume our half scissor trusses for our cathedral ceiling rest on this. We're looking to add our addition by removing a wall that is currently supporting one of the ends of this beam. We want to avoid a post to maintain an open floor-plan with our cathedral ceilings. Our contractor proposed attaching a custom, beefy full-sized scissor truss to the exterior scissor trusses, but has not proposed anything to support the end of the existing beam. He thinks that it won't need to be supported as the new truss will take the load. I am thinking that existing beam needs support as there will still be half trusses putting weight on it, but maybe I'm wrong?

This is the wall we are looking to remove (with the two patio doors). Notice the beam on the ceiling resting on/in the wall.



This is the new floor-plan we are trying to achieve. The dark line through the center of the couch is where the existing exterior wall is.



So, I guess my question is, what are my options for supporting the end of this beam without a post there? A perpendicular beam at the height of my walls with a post on top of it supporting the beam? Sorry if I am not using the correct verbiage. Any help is greatly appreciated.

For reference, this is the exterior:

 
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#2 ·
A girder truss would be able to transfer that load but i would not leave that up to guess work by a contractor. Contact the engineered truss people have them design the 2 or 3 ply girder for that, the weight would be transferred to the ends of the new foundation so you would expect an enlarged footing under those ends as well as tying into the old foundation and footing.
Our truss companies also supply the hanger for that kind of thing because the stores don't carry all the big stuff so they would need the size of the beam or what have you up there.
 
#4 ·
I would just have a post behind the couch, it doesn't affect anything. A beam above visually cutting over your head is worse than a post would be, unless you built faux beams across the ceiling to match.

If this is your layout it might be good to put in the required windows for the living area.
 
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