[Eds_tls]

Hello!

I'd like to open up the wall between our kitchen and dining room in our 1950's era ranch. The wall is definatley not load bearing.

I'd like to open it up like this, and have one big open "L" shape. It will give us a small peninsula type ledge between the two rooms. I thought about knocking out the whole wall, but I'd rather not mess with trying to match up the different types of flooring, (vinyl in the kitchen and wood in the dining room).

Anyway, how would I frame something like this? I figure I could frame it like one large 8 foot wide door with a header across the whole span, and then build a peninsula that would actually be the short 4 foot wall section.

But I'm worried the short 4 foot tall peninsual wall that would be created between the rooms would not be strong enough. Mainly because there wouldn't be a king stud on the right side of the opening where it meets the doorway. A good hip check or two from a drunken relitave might knock it inward or outward and cause cracking.

I could also just frame it like a normal window like this. I know this would be much easier but I'd rather not have the 1 foot wide vertical wall seperating the window from the doorway.

Any thoughts?

 

[joecaption]

Are those light switches to the left of the door?
Is so then the widow framing would be stonger and not have to mess with them.
I'm not loving the L shaped look.

 

[Eds_tls]

Those are light switches and they would have to be relocated. Not too worried about that

 

[funfool]

Just curious what is to the right of the doorway?
Your photo just reminds me of a kitchen remodel we did. It really did make a nice improvement and opened it up, well worth the effort. On that job, was just a short 24" wall to the right of the existing doorway.
We took out the whole doorway, just cut down the existing studs to the lefft of the doorway to the counter top hight we wanted. Granite top on the 1/2 wall it was worth the effort.
And we had a electrician in rewiring the whole kitchen since it was stripped to the studs ... no big deal to relocate those switches on to the new 1/2 wall with a j-box in the ceiling.

I mention this, because your floor plan looks remarkably close to what we were working with.
To the right of your doorway, it ended into another wall, on the other wall was another doorway, was a hall way of sorts with a washer and dryer, a door way to the garage, a back door to outside.
Was just a cluttered corner.
So we took out the doorway in your photo, just to the right on adjoining wall, we took out that doorway also.
That was a bearing wall, we had to rebuild that header, then the header for non bearing wall, we just hung off of the new header we built for bearing wall.
That opened up the whole corner, was not much more work ... really helped.
Just an idea for you.

 

[Windows on Wash]

I would open it up to the ceiling.

You can make those kneewalls pretty darn strong with some steel and additional framing.

 

[Gary in WA]

I always run the last (end) stud of the 1/2 wall down through the floor and tie to the floor joists below (may require blocking).

Gary
PS. Need some "after" pictures...

 

[Fix'n it]

how about pics from further back, and the other side of that wall. perhaps take most of that wall out.

 

[Windows on Wash]

Where are you located Maynard? Looks like one of my customer's kitchens.

 

[Joe Carola]

Hello!

I'd like to open up the wall between our kitchen and dining room in our 1950's era ranch. The wall is definatley not load bearing.

I'd like to open it up like this, and have one big open "L" shape. It will give us a small peninsula type ledge between the two rooms. I thought about knocking out the whole wall, but I'd rather not mess with trying to match up the different types of flooring, (vinyl in the kitchen and wood in the dining room).

Anyway, how would I frame something like this? I figure I could frame it like one large 8 foot wide door with a header across the whole span, and then build a peninsula that would actually be the short 4 foot wall section.

But I'm worried the short 4 foot tall peninsual wall that would be created between the rooms would not be strong enough. Mainly because there wouldn't be a king stud on the right side of the opening where it meets the doorway. A good hip check or two from a drunken relitave might knock it inward or outward and cause cracking.

I could also just frame it like a normal window like this. I know this would be much easier but I'd rather not have the 1 foot wide vertical wall seperating the window from the doorway.

Any thoughts?

A lot of times that wall is load bearing. Is it?

 

[ktkelly]

The second method would certainly be the easier of the two


And I think it would more likely look better in the long run.


Perhaps you could add some interest by having both the door and pass through without case moldings?

Wrap both with drywall and top them off with an eyebrow like this:

That was a solid wall between the kitchen and living room. Also opened up that window in the background and mimicked the new opening.

 

[Eds_tls]

I always run the last (end) stud of the 1/2 wall down through the floor and tie to the floor joists below (may require blocking).

Gary
PS. Need some "after" pictures...

Thats not a bad idea at all.

 

[carpdad]

Second on GBR's idea. But it is worth finding out if you have a joist right under that wall. If you do, you can dado a metal plate into the post and over the joist. On both sides of the post.
If you do use the joist to tie in the post, block the joists so the joist does not get pushed by the post.