First, let me state that I am a homeowner and smart enough not to attempt this myself. However, I would like an unbiased opinion on the feasibility and an understanding of what to ask any potential contractor.
I have a two-story house with a walk-out basement. I use the basement as a shop/studio and am limited by the lack of access. There is a 5′ wide sliding glass door, but one panel is fixed and not removable. If I replaced the door unit I would effectively double the usable width. However, 5′ is still limiting.
There are also two windows (30″ x 48″). The total width from outside to outside is 7’8″. A 7′ wide door would be perfect for my needs. Can I have the two windows removed and a door installed?
Specific information: The house is only 4 years old and the wall is 2×6 construction. The basement has 9′ ceilings and the two floors above have 8′. One window is only a foot from the corner of the house. The headers above the windows are 2×10 and do not span the area between the windows. They are at the same height as the sliding glass door. The arrangement of the two windows and sliding glass door of the basement is identical to the story above. This concerns me because it means I would be eliminating two load bearing areas if I removed the space between the windows.
Without concern about load, I assume they could simply remove the windows, cut the hole for the door, replace the two headers with one that spans the entire area, add several “prince studs” (?) to bring the width to roughly 7′, and install a double door. Since we live in reality, how would this affect the structure of the home? How would they need to support the structure while they replaced the headers? Would the headers need to be increased in size? Could I regain any lost strength by using one of the old windows in the existing sliding glass door area?
Thanks!
Rich
Replies
engineered lumber ( LVLs or similar) can do that new header for you with no trouble.
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If your 9/0 "basement" wall is all wood-framed on it's "walkout" side, you can place a double door anywhere you want.
Unless I am missing something, you should't feel limited to placing your access door at the glass slider or windows locations.
A qualified contractor can just about chop that door opening anywhere you want it, reinforce it with the appropriately-sized header, and do the install and trim-out.
I would advise doing some door shopping at a good building-supply house, AKA, a lumberyard that deals with pros, and asking the manager to recommend a contractor.
I was just assuming that the above structure would need braced until the new door structure was in place. A 7' hole in the wall seemed dramatic to me, but maybe it isn't a big deal to a house. If I don't have to worry about the wall crumbling down, it would be better for me to just make the existing door area larger and leave the windows alone.
This is why I ask questions. Someone could have told me they needed a crane to hold up the house while the work was being done and I would have believed them. I would have dismissed the plan as too expensive, but I would have believed.
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Rich
We cannot tell where you live, because your profile is blank, but if you live in snow country, any kind of place where you get some snow on the ground in the winter, a goodly portion of your home's structural strength is designed to withstand the load that snow can put on the roof.
That load transmits down through your walls to your foundation below. Thus the need for beams buried in the walls, called headers, over the openings.
If your contractor does the structural surgery required to turn your 5/0 width door opening into something bigger, he'll need to do a little bracing while he cuts out that old header and puts in the larger one, but the risks of any kind of sag are minimized if the work is done with nothing much on the roof.
Don't worry. It's an everyday job for a qualified carpenter, and he can do it alone. As I said, your lumberyard owner or manager can recommend you someone good and reliable.
Make sure he flashes everything well, to avoid any water problems. Say the words "drip cap over the head trim" to him, and if he says, "sure 'nuff, I always do," you will know you have your man.
I live in Denver, but this would be a summer time project.
Rich