I am in the process of installing a header on my exterior kitchen wall in which I will be placing my cabinets in using cantilevered bump out addition. I plan to shore up the interior floor joists and I am using a 11 7/8 engineered header approximately 10 feet long. My home is constructed using balloon framing. My question is this. Should I use supports on the exterior 2nd floor wall while I am cutting out the bump out in preparations to install the header beam from the exterior wall?
See my attached drawing. Thanks in advance for advice.
Tim
Replies
Absolutely, and be careful. I hope your confident with the design. If something like this goes wrong it can get ugly quick.
is it possible to cut half way through the studs to install the header, support the ends on the new studs and then cut the rest thourgh??
someone else will be along to either agree or shoot holes in my idea
One time at band camp... Not really.
Anyway, We did something close. We cut the studs on at a time and turned the cut offs sideways against the outside sheeting. So that we had a 2" ledge to set the header on. Then we removed the blocks one at a time. But it wasn't a two story house. Can't say that it wouldn't work though.
i probably didn't explain myself very welli mean that you would cut notches in the studs for the header to sit into and then be fixed to the studs above. then support the header properly at the ends.and finally cut the remainder of the studs out so that the wall is supported at all times????should prop the floor the to reduce the load on the wall too.is it feasible????
There was an article about this technique in Fine Homebuilding about three years ago, I think. The point of the article was that you could cut an opening into a load-bearing wall without the risk of shoring damage to adjacent floors and ceilings.The header was made of two LVL beams, each 1 3/4" thick. The technique was to notch the studs on one side of the wall, install the trimmers and one LVL, then cut the the studs completely out from the other side and install the other LVL. BruceT
Tim,
your exterior support is good, BUT, I would also build a temp. wall on the 2nd floor as well, directly over the 1st floor temp. wall, and a 3rd temp. wall in the basement directly under the other two, or at least as closely aligned as possible.
How thick is your engineered header? 10' is a long span carrying a substantial load (second floor and roof loads) Did someone do a calc. for you to decide what size header to use?
Geoff
Someone did the calc for me. So I am comfortable with the size of the header, it is well oversized in fact.
As for temp walls on the second and basement, It is impossible on the second floor due to existing layout, there are walls that span this area already, but they are not "load bearing". As for basement, it would also be tricky, since the existing span is less than 6 feet from load bearing wall to outer wall of basement.
I was thinking that the load would be transferred to the ends of the exterior wall, is this an incorrect assumption?
As for header, I could try the 1 3/4" thick trick (1/2 at a time) shown in fine homebuilding. Hopefully they have those in stock. If not, I am not sure of my other options.
Thanks for advice. Keep them coming if something else hits ya.Tim
You definitely need to support temporarily to insert that header, even if doing it one half side at a time.I also think you need to recheck the header sizing. That is way too small for all the load it is carrying. Did the person calc ing it have all the proper information> That it was carring a second floor and a roof and the extension roof all together?
I'd be expecting a apir of LVL 14" minimum seat of my pants calc.
Do a reality check on that please!
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Attached is the beam calc and the drawing I sent for the calculation. I had someone at boise also do a calc and they recommended the same size lvl beam.
Thanks again for comments.Tim
their pdf seems to have it all accounted for, near as I can tell
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All went well. The header is in, and now I have to finish one wall, and the roof. Thanks for the advice. I will post a pic when it's presentable.
:-)Tim
You can read the aforementioned Fine Homebuilding article here:
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/new-header-old-wall.aspx?LangType=1033&ac=fp
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