Beam size to replace load-bearing wall
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.