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nor14 · Aug 22, 2009, 07:36 PM

Okay, I'm trying to decide if it's worth the trouble to open up a room in my basement. It is currently a 16 ft wide wall with a single doorway in it. It is a load-bearing wall. I'd like to open up the doorway to about 10'6" width.

The wall supports the floor above, and there is another load-bearing wall on the first floor above it that extends to the 2nd floor ceiling. I believe the roof is supported by the exterior walls. This wall runs perpendicular from the front of the house with the joists running parallel to the front. The interesting thing is beyond this wall towards the back of the house, the joists switch direction and run towards the back of the house. I'm not sure if this plays into the calculations but I thought it was noteworthy.

I found this website that has sizing charts and page 6 seems to be close to my situation, but I'd like to hear what knowledgeable people think about it: http://www.slumber.com/lumber_wood/d.../Microllam.pdf

Beyond beam size, I'm also wondering what kind of vertical support the beam would require. If I left out any details that would help, let me know.

21boat · Aug 23, 2009, 12:24 PM

When you say "beam" is this steel or wood?
If it's a more modern house then the wall there may just be a fill in to cover steel beam. If so and it has steel post buried in the wall then the wall would not be likely to be a bearing wall and just a partition under the beam. Check and get back.

nor14 · Aug 23, 2009, 02:50 PM

I've opened up the wall already... it's 2x6's under overlapping joists. I'm thinking LVL header to replace studs.

Originally Posted by 21boat

When you say "beam" is this steel or wood?
If its a more modern house then the wall there may just be a fill in to cover steel beam. If so and it has steel post buried in the wall then the wall would not be likely to be a bearing wall and just a partition under the beam. Check and get back.

21boat · Aug 23, 2009, 07:04 PM

Is there any support columns under that beam down the wall? How old is the house?
Its very unusual to set a wood or steel beam and then put a full studed wall under it before you build the house. Never saw it done yet.

nor14 · Aug 24, 2009, 06:18 AM

I'm sorry I didn't make it easier to understand. There is NO beam in the wall right now. It's just a stud wall. The house is 12 years old. My question is what size of beam do I need to replace the stud wall with a 10'6" opening.

Originally Posted by 21boat

Is there any support columns under that beam down the wall? How old is the house?
Its very unusual to set a wood or steel beam and then put a full studed wall under it before you build the house. Never saw it done yet.

21boat · Aug 24, 2009, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by ;

I'm sorry I didn't make it easier to understand. There is NO beam in the wall right now.

Again details left out... Just to clarifie this the wording is NO beam above the wall or in the wall. The floor joists sit directly on the studded wall. The studded wall has a top plate that is doubled up sitting flat under the floor joist.

So which is it??
Is there a house beam anywhere in the basement?
What are the floor joist made of?

For a 12 year old house that's really unusual to say the least. All house has some kind of main beam running from end to end unless its all clear span and the joist run from one end of the basement to the other end . The usually requires floor that look like I beams that are Plywood in the middle with 2" or so wood top and bottom.

Need perfect details as we look at it from a side view at the top of the partition wall.

nor14 · Aug 24, 2009, 10:49 AM

Okay, I took another look and I was able to locate a beam. It's not near the wall I'm wanting to take down. That wall has a top plate doubled up sitting under 2x10 floor joists.

I've made a diagram that shows the layout. The wall I'm wanting to open up goes from A to B. Hopefully this diagram makes it easier to visualize. There are 3 load bearing walls that I have located. These are shown in my diagram. I've drawn the joist direction in yellow. They overlap over the red wall that I'm wanting to take down.

Originally Posted by 21boat

Again details left out...Just to clarifie this the wording is NO beam above the wall or in the wall. The floor joists sit directly on the studded wall. The studded wall has a top plate that is doubled up sitting flat under the floor joist.

So which is it???
Is there a house beam anywhere in the basement?
What are the floor joist made of?

For a 12 year old house thats really unusual to say the least. All house has some kind of main beam running from end to end unless its all clear span and the joist run from one end of the basement to the other end . The usually requires floor that look like I beams that are Plywood in the middle with 2" or so wood top and bottom.

Need perfect details as we look at it from a side view at the top of the partition wall.

nor14 · Aug 24, 2009, 10:50 AM

Sorry, the image didn't post. Hopefully this time it will:

21boat · Aug 25, 2009, 05:07 PM

Hi nor. Thanks for the drawing and that helps a lot. The one thing I find odd is way they switched joist patterns. Is there a sunken room there.. Just curious. The other reason I asked this is the builder could have bought another steel beam. Started its bearing point where (B) is and continue it past (A) and terminate it on the outside wall. A sister beam duplicating the other beam direction.

From what I see the wall A -B is a bearing wall. Another way to guarantee that would be if the floor joist overlap ( side to side ) on top of that wall you are working on

An LVL would be in order here. In my area I can go to the lumber yard that makes them and they can size it up for load.

I tried to pull up the PDF file you posted but no go 'Link was broken"

So bottom line is that shows as a bearing wall for the joist above from what I see in layout.

nor14 · Aug 25, 2009, 05:10 PM

Yeah, the link got screwed up by the Ask Me censor. It's D1CK's Lumber, and it took out the D1CK part, leaving slumber.com. It has a good size chart if you know you're load, but that's the part I'm unsure of.

Originally Posted by 21boat

Hi nor. Thanks for the drawing and that helps a lot. The one thing I find odd is way they switched joist patterns. Is there a sunken room there.. Just curious. The other reason I asked this is the builder could have bought another steel beam. Started its bearing point where (B) is and continue it past (A) and terminate it on the outside wall. A sister beam duplicating the other beam direction.

From what I see the wall A -B is a bearing wall. Another way to guarantee that would be if the floor joist overlap ( side to side ) on top of that wall you are working on

An LVL would be in order here. In my area I can go to the lumber yard that makes them and they can size it up for load.

I tried to pull up the PDF file you posted but no go 'Link was broken"

So bottom line is that shows as a bearing wall for the joist above from what I see in layout.

21boat · Aug 25, 2009, 05:48 PM

screwed up by the Ask Me censor. It's D1CK's Lumber, and it took out the D1CK part

,
That's a keeper...

Hi Nor Im, laughing so hard here. I hate when that happens

I have the specks on the basics and how to calculate the floor loads. It can get a little techky but you can come up with the basics. There of course the percentile of added safety in load stress's to go above the specks
American Wood Council Understanding Loads and Using Span Tables

nor14 · Aug 25, 2009, 07:37 PM

Okay... it was kind of complicated, but what I came up with was a 3-1/2" x 14" LVL would handle the load. Thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by 21boat

,
Thats a keeper...........

Hi Nor Im, laughing so hard here. I hate when that happens

I have the specks on the basics and how to calculate the floor loads. It can get a little techky but you can come up with the basics. There of course the percentile of added safety in load stress's to go above the specks
American Wood Council Understanding Loads and Using Span Tables

21boat · Aug 25, 2009, 08:42 PM

I said it was a bit techky remember to add some width to the lam for bearing /seating stability. You could possibly use less height of a lamb by using 2 lams by gluing and nailing them together.

Its usually every 12' check with the specks. Doing it that way helps the head room ans give a wider overall beam to balance on the seat.

Glad I could Help and good luck

ubils · Nov 1, 2010, 12:54 AM

What the saiz beam for double story building?