[lighting nut]

I am planning to have an addition built on to my home. It will be 32’x32’ with a basement garage and a single floor above the garage. The basement garage will be cement block and the area above will be 2x4 construction with wood trusses to support the roof.

The original house has a 26’x32’ footprint with a cement block basement, the first and second floors are constructed of wood. The first and second floors are 2x4 walls with 2x10floor joists and 2x6 roof rafters. The second floor has a small area (13’x32’) that is actual living space due to the design of the roof.

Where the addition will attach to the original house I would like to remove the load bearing wall that now supports the one side of the original house. I plan on installing a gluelam or a double truss at this location. I want an open floor plan between the old and new sections of the house. The span will be 20 feet from the front wall to an interior load bearing wall that is going to stay in place.

My question is (and I realize that this may be difficult to answer) is a gluelam (lets say 4x12) going to be strong enough to support this section of the house or should I use a double truss or a 2x6 (super truss)?? Or do something different??

If anyone has any experience with gluelam/truss support features/numbers I can email more pictures if that would help.

[ballengerb1]

Your home looks like a 1970 Lindahl Cedar home at Apple Canyon Lake, Illinos. How close am I? I have almost the same house and we supported the removed wall with a double 2x12 glulam that was glued and bolted together. You may want a structural engineer to look at your home. If it is a Lindahl they are often structure more like a post and beam home rather than a traditional 2x4 structure. I think if you look up you will see 5 main beams running front to back of your home with the primary beam being at the ridge. Your house on my lake was called the Swiss Chalet. Back to you.

[lighting nut]

The house is located in NC just outside the town of Spruce Pine. I believe that it was built in 1978. The plans were purchased from a company by the name of National Plan Service Inc. in Elmhurst IL. The plans look like something that a person would just send away for and then make changes wherever they would like. I have the original plans and the people who built it back in 1978 did not vary from them too much. It is not a post and beam house however. The name that the house was given by the plans company was The Geneva-B.

You may be right about going to an engineer to find out how to support that wall. I may need to do that in the long run. I am trying to keep the cost down as much as possible but yet I don't want anything falling on my head! So I guess that I will start looking around for an engineer.

Thanks for your input.

[ballengerb1]

I don't know how rural your area is but you'll likely need to have plans approved for a permit. In my locale the plans need to be done by an architect or engineer is trusses or laminated beams are involved. Sometimes places like this one will give you help if you buy the beam from them. Building with Glue-Laminated Beams | Extreme How To, DIY - Do it Yourself, Home Improvement, Home Decorating
So when you look up inside the home you don't see 3 or 5 large beams running the length of your ceiling? That would be a sure sign of a timber frame construction house. When I tore out my exterior walls I found a 4x4 post every 8' with horizontal 2x4 running at the floor, mid-wall and ceiling just so there would be a nailing surface for interior sheeting.

[lighting nut]

My area is VERY rural. I had a 30x50 garage built a couple years back and I was surprised at how easy the inspector was to get along with during that process. The garage was a cement block building with trusses for the roof and a 6 inch thick floor. All I did was to make two drawings on regular 8.5x11 paper showing the floor plan and a basic sketch of the outside of the building. I know a house will be somewhat different but I doubt that it will be that bad.

I have attached some pictures of my house when I installed a sliding door and a window in the very wall that I will be removing with the up coming addition. I also have attached a picture that I took of the attic area---no post or beams.

[ballengerb1]

Great pics, you are 100% correct, that's not timber framed at all. I'd triple the attic insulation thickness while you are at it. Don't cover up and eave vents, didn't see them but they are likely there.

[lighting nut]

Thanks ballengerb1 ---that web site that you gave for the glulams was a great help---I left a positive feedback on the last question--thanks again for your help!