I have a 1 story home, composition shingles, 1/2" plywood over original horizontal battons. 6" concrete foundation floor. existing room is 14.5 wide, new room would be 17.5 wide.
I want to remove a load bearing wall. Existing joists are 2x6x15 24" on center and join over the load bearing wall to be removed (the wall is about 1 ft to the "left " of center join). The next wall that I can use for support is the other side of the hallway 3 1/2 ft to the "right" of existing wall.
There are only two 2x4's used as support for the ridge beam in the attic over this area of the house (i think this is inadequate, but its been there for 40 years). Can I use/create a wider beam rather than taller, span tables only show in the order of 2x, not 4x or 6x. and I do not know how this will work. In addition where can I locate different beam manufacutreres (LVL, steel ) what size beam?
I would like to stay under 6" in height of the new beam so it will still fit in the existing spac
2007-01-23 06:40:33 · 2 answers · asked by fm92555 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Get an engineer to tell you exactly what the loading on the beam will be. Roof load, snow load, live load and ceiling load and how it is distributed. Also have the load path from the beam support to the dirt determined. Then tell the most important data when designing a beam, the span. Then it is a simple calculation. If you want to stay under 6" you will most probably have to use steel if the span is over 6'. If the span is approaching 12', you will propbably have to go to a deeper section, assuming roof loading is present.
2007-01-23 08:33:54 · answer #1 · answered by daedgewood 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They sell laminated beams, but you have to shore up both sides with a temporary wall to put the lam beam in.Be careful and get a journeyman carpenter to help you.
2007-01-23 06:47:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋