[sunnyskie]

We've got a small 36" french door right now in between our dining/kitchen and our living room, and we want to take that out and extend it to about a 14' cased opening for better flow. We have people over alot and right now we feel pretty separated.

We're pretty sure the wall isn't load bearing and we want to do the bulk of it ourselves. I have some photos of the trusses in the attic, as well as the interior wall in question from a Sketchup drawing. The arrows correspond to the wall from above and on the interior, if that makes sense.

Are we correct that the outer walls are bearing the load, and not the wall we want to open up?
And is 14' too wide for an opening without a header, even if it's non-load bearing?

I love figuring out how to use Sketchup so any varying suggestions that take me back to the "drawing board" are certainly welcome. :smile:

 

[ront02769]

How did you figure out that it’s not load bearing?? Because it looks like there is a load on that yellow arrow, first pix. It appears as if that wall would be supporting the ceiling in both of the rooms below it as well as the vertical two byes that seem t o hold up the ridge? Ron

 

[3onthetree]

Those are not trusses. But no worries, not a problem to open up 14'. A big header can still be DIY, you should just have an engineer size it and what you will have for the support below the posts.

 

[Nealtw]

It looks like a bearing wall where the ceiling joists meat on that wall.
You will need an engineer, who will like at the load and size the beam and the number of studs under each, he will also want to go downstairs have you add squash blocks, direct bearing studs below and he may question the footing size, the footing is below the basement slab.