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If anyone can give me some insight its greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! What I want to do is remove part of the bearing wall in the center of my Cape Cod 24’X32′ basically converting 2 rooms into 1 large room. The span of the support girder will be 14’and placed into the ceiling. this will allow me to have a smooth roof line without the girder being exposed. I want to use 2×8’s and nail the floor joists into the girder with teaco hangers. How many 2×8 or microlams size do I need???
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Whoa there Bubba!
By your question, I'm assuming that your cape cod has a second story because you want to nail your floor joist into it. Would I be wrong in guessing that your new support beam is running the lenght of your house and the floor joist are running across the house and are presently resting on a carrying partition?
Are there any posts or walls in your basement supporting the existing carrying partition and where are they located. When you remove that portion of the wall you indicated, will there still be support in the basement?
*Gabe:I think you need to stop dishing out engineering advice.....
*No Creature, what I would like is for all of us to look at all sides before going ahead with projects.And then maybe, I wouldn't have to spend as much time as I do, conducting technical audits for litigations, because someone caused or sought damages on a construction site.Did a tech. audit last year where the homeowner was at odds with a local builder about sags in his two story house, located in the hall and living room area. Turned out that there was a new support beam built under the floor joist in the basement, problem was it was 3 feet beside the carrying partition above it.Everyone makes mistakes, discussion panels are meant to chat openly about situations of concern without fear of ridicule or chastising.
*That's funny creature, Gabe didn't give any advice. It seems to me, he was asking questions. Good questions that raise good issues!In fact, the question can't be answered without understanding the loads that are involved!Blue"I Learned from my parent's mistakes - I use birth control."
*Allright bubba, explain a bit more. Is there a second floor? If so, what are the lengths of the joist that will bear on it. Is there a sufficient foundation under you proposed bearing points? How much bearing is available, at each bearing point, of the proposed beam?You said smooth roofline. Did you mean flush ceiling line? Are you limited to 7 1/4 height beams?I'm no engineer, but all of these questions need to be considered in the equation to give you a correct answer.Blue
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this is one of those cases where you should spend the money and have the beam designed by a civil or a structural engineer. There are too many things that can go wrong as well as things you are unaware of. Save yourself headaches (and possible significant structural damage) and hire the proper person to size the beam and its supports. I do not know where you are located, but any building department will require engineering calculations. If you do it yourself, you are on the legal hook if you sell the property and something goes wrong.
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Bubba
Down here in Connecticut my lumber Yards' supplier will size beams given a described situation (glue lams) for us contractors. Remember all beams and girders ect... have to be supported all the way back to soil. If you are going to carry this new beam over the center girder of the home's first floor you may even have to add a collumn or so in the basement. It may be well worth your while to get a local structural PE to give you proposal a once over and do any sizing which may be invloved. Your local building department or lumber yards may be able to recomend some one. If the situation is even the least bit hairy I often go to the building department in advance with my proposal to get thier blessing before the estimate is even given to the client. This has saved me in the past and will probalby do so agian.
Happy building
Kevin
*What has always baffled me in these situations is how does one determine the load in an existing structure? had a guy once request for me to replace his existing basement wood beam with a steel one. steel supplier asked me how much did it need to bear. I was stumped.Confused,Pete Draganic
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Pete - there are a series of tables that you can use to estimate the loads. The tables give the approximate weight (per square foot or per linear floot) of various types of walls, floors, ceilings, etc. You determine the number of square feet, multiply by the weight per square foot, and add. You then have to take the total weight you just calcuated and divide it up in its various load paths (ie: determine what percentage of the load each wall, support post, etc. carries. You can look these up in a structural engineers handbook. Unless you have had someone show you how to do this, it is best to hire an engineer. That may cost you several hundred to a thousand dollars, but it is much cheaper than having to re-do the entire job or end up in court (it is a pass through cost anyway - if the owner does not want to pay for that type of analysis, then you probably do not want them as a client.)
*It's easy to get info on the beam size.The only real concern is how you are changing the loading of the structure. Seek locate professional help for this one.We can't see your houses substructure so we can't even comment on a safe and legal solution.
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Bubba,
I'm in the middle of a very similar project now. I did the calulations myself (first time) but had an engineer approve my plans. I won't give you details because every situation must be calculated based on the particulars of the structure. I can tell you this: If you're supporting a second floor and a roof, and your joists span 12' each side of the girder, and you want the girder to be no deeper than 7-1/4", then you are talking steel. No amount of 2X8 or microlam will do. With steel connections get slightly more complicated. Take the advice given here; find an engineer!
Jerry
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BUBBA my man....the magic word today is .....FLITCH PLATES, easy to do yourself.
As always the foundation must be addressed.
Talk only to your local P.E.
Ray___ PE
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If anyone can give me some insight its greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! What I want to do is remove part of the bearing wall in the center of my Cape Cod 24'X32' basically converting 2 rooms into 1 large room. The span of the support girder will be 14'and placed into the ceiling. this will allow me to have a smooth roof line without the girder being exposed. I want to use 2x8's and nail the floor joists into the girder with teaco hangers. How many 2x8 or microlams size do I need???