Remodeling project — I need to increase the width of a doorway in a load-bearing wall from 5 feet to 10 feet. What is the best way to support the upper part of the wall while I remove the existing header and install a new, longer header beam?
Remodeling project — I need to increase the width of a doorway in a load-bearing wall from 5 feet to 10 feet. What is the best way to support the upper part of the wall while I remove the existing header and install a new, longer header beam?
Fine Homebuilding is excited to be the official media partner of the 2024 Building Science Symposium series! This event offers builders, tradesmen, architects, designers and suppliers to discuss topics ranging…
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Fine Homebuilding
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.
Start Your Free TrialStart your subscription today and save up to 81%
SubscribeGet complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
Build temp 2/6 supporting walls
Typically just frame a temp wall parallel to the bearing wall, about 3 ft. from it. If this is over a crawl, build up cribbing and some sort of beam under the temp wall to carry the load all the way to the ground. If it's an upper floor, do the calcs to see if you need to shore the lower story.
-- J.S.
Thanks John,
The opening in question is in the middle story of a 3-story house. This wall extends to all three floors, with the stairways along one side. It also forms the exterior wall of the upper floor and therefore holds up the roof, too.
It will be a challenge to make a temp. support wall since there is a stairway on one side of the opening and a vaulted ceiling on the other side.
What do you think about attaching a temporary 2x12 (or a doubled 2x12) with lag screws to the studs above the header?
In the middle floor of a three story with that complexity, I'd pay my engineer to design the header and the temporary shoring. The permanent loads that get moved to the ends of the new header have to be carried all the way to the ground.
That being said, instead of lagging to the cripple studs, I'd consider a 2x12 or whatever on each side, tied together thru the stud bays with carriage bolts, plus some 2x4 blocks on top between the 2x12's and the existing top plates. It saves chewing up the studs with lag bolts. This sounds like you have plenty of room above the new header.
-- J.S.