The rule of thumb for a header supporting a residential span is the
number of span feet = the height of the header in inches. E.g., a 10'
span would need a doubled 2 x 10 as a header.
Wood is very strong in compression, so a 2x4 trimmer stud should work
fine, but there may be localized codes you need to adhere to,
including getting a structural engineer. And the biggest part of all
this is to make sure the trimmer studs are weighing on something
that's rated for the load. A normal floor joist is only rated for a
live load, which I believe is 40 lbs/sf. A structural engineer can
tell you if a simple doubling of the affected floor joists are enough
to carry the new load, or if you need to do something as drastic as
installing new piers or lally columns. Think like the weight and
you'll get a pretty good idea of what you may be up against.
jim
On Dec 21, 2008, at 6:12 PM, Jim Stone wrote:
> My wife would like to enlarge the doorway between our dining room
> and kitchen.
> Unfortunately, the wall in question is load bearing. The wall runs
> perpendicular to the floor joists in the attic and runs the length
> of the
> house.
>
> The house was built in 1907, if that matters. I wouldn't be
> removing the wall
> completely; the ceilings are 9 feet high and the current door
> opening is 7' by
> about 32"; she'd like to enlarge it to about 9' to match one on the
> other
> wall, so there would be 2' off wall above the opening. For what its
> worth,
> there is currently a 9' opening in the same wall between the
> adjacent living
> room and the rest of the house.
>
> So, does this sound like something that requires a structural
> engineer and
> needs to be done by a professional, or could I do it myself? I would
> certainly never remove a load bearing wall myself (did that by
> mistake with a
> friend and know the consequences), but the wall would stay; the door
> way would
> just be a whole lot wider.
>
> Thanks.
>
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