My husband and I just recently purchased a home - it is a cape cod style, with two bedrooms on the first floor and one on the second floor. I'd like to convert the larger downstairs bedroom into a family room, and it is separated from the current living room by what I believe is likely a load bearing wall. Rather than take down the wall, can I have a space cut in the wall and french doors installed without damaging my home? Also - not including the cost of the doors, what does that type of work run in Northeast Ohio? Thanks to anyone who can help. :)
2007-03-06 07:29:44 · 9 answers · asked by quilt_mommy_2001 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Thank you all so much for your input, it has been very helpful.
Sic-n-tired - I'm a first time home owner, and truly dumb to these things, so forgive me if this is a silly question - but what is flash? Lol* And thanks for the good luck wishes, hopefully spring will visit us in Ohio soon!
2007-03-06 08:07:51 · update #1
one way to tell if it is a load bearing wall is to go outside and look up at the top of your roof. if it is running right to left as you are looking at it and the wall inside is also, then it most likely is. you can still add the french doors, but the wall will need to be opened up so that a header can be added to support the floor upstairs. other things to consider are; electrical wiring, plumbing, air ducting, could be in this wall and need to be relocated to allow the doors. the whole wall may need to be opened up to deal with any and all of this, instead of just a hole large enough for the door. on the bright side, if the wall is completely sheet rocked with new, rather than patched just over the top of the door, you won't get stress cracks on either side of the top of the doors. also, you will need to fill the gap in the floor where the wall used to be, since the floor won't have run under the wall. that can be done by putting a saddle over the gap after it is filled and will look like a threshold in the door opening. good luck, hope this helps.
2007-03-06 07:59:03 · answer #1 · answered by car dude 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Install Interior French Doors
2016-11-03 01:58:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can be done. But it's a little more complicated than just cutting a hole in the wall. If it really is a load bearing wall, a temporary support wall needs to be built first. This will support the load while the wall is redone and headered off to put in the french doors. Then the doors installed, the wall fixed, probably including new drywall, new paint, then trim.
I wouldn't expect to pay less than $1000 plus whatever the doors cost. Check references for any contractor you hire.
2007-03-06 07:45:20 · answer #3 · answered by bugs280 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you will need to remove covering, such as dry wall. Before you remove studs you need to brace ceiling above removal site. You will need to add load bearing columns such as 2x4s to outter perimeter of door. You will then need to put up a header, for wood construction this is usually a large 2x8 sandwiched by plywood (it will equal the width of the existing wall) the header transfers the weight across the top and then to the studs/ cloumns. Hopefully you have some friends. If no construction experience, you should hire a aub contractor. You can get a framing sub to do this and then you can do the rest. Good luck.
2007-03-06 07:44:21 · answer #4 · answered by herndog 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cheryl is right. it can easily be done by first erecting temporary support, and then cutting out the opening, adding the necessary framing which will include an adequate sized header to support the structure over the opening before removing the temporary bracing. a good contractor should be able to accomplish this in a day or two. I'm guessing that you can get it done for two to three hundred dollars. and i would add, make sure that the new opening is properly flashed. being from northwest Ohio, i know what kind of weather you get in northeast Ohio. you'll want to keep it out.
good luck, neighbor.
2007-03-06 07:49:57 · answer #5 · answered by sic-n-tired 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can put in doors. You have to make sure that a proper size header is put in first to carry the load above it. Many of times a engineer is required to do the calculations needed to size the header.
2007-03-06 07:39:59 · answer #6 · answered by rob89434 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can, you need a good contractor to brace and frame for the french doors.
2007-03-06 07:35:26 · answer #7 · answered by Cheryl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Interior or exterior wall?
2016-03-16 05:49:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thank you everyone for answering
2016-08-23 20:26:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋