On Apr 25, 1:51*am, wrote:
On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:06:07 -0700, "Bill"



wrote:
Before I go and hire an architect, get building permit, etc. I would like to
get a ballpark on what this might look like...

I have a bearing wall (2x4 studs) which is 13 ft. long in my living room
which I am thinking of tearing out and replacing with a beam. (2 story
house - living room first floor.)

But looking at "span tables", this is looking like it would need a solid
wood beam like 4 x 10? Well a 10" beam would come down a bit far and not
look so good...

So how about a steel I-beam? I looked at span tables for I-beams and it
looks like a "W6x9" would do the trick? This would come down less and look
better.

Anyway I don't know a thing about steel I-beams. Does "W6x9" mean 6 inches
wide and 9 inches high?

Is there a smaller I-beam which would work for this span?

And I have 2x4 walls that this I-beam would connect to on each side. Would
the I-beam just rest on say 4 x 6 wood posts? Or have holes drilled in the
bottom of the I-beam and lag screw it to the wood posts?

And how would I fasten the joists resting on the top of the I-beam to the
I -beam?

People who rip out load bearing walls are normally idiots. *The wall
was put there for support and is intended to stay there. *If you want
a visual of the next room, put in a few smaller windows so only every
other stud is removed and beef up those that stay. *

People who think that a house is going to remain solid and survive in
severe storms leave their houses with their original structures. *Only
those Saturday morning home re-make shows knock out load bearing walls
to create lots of open space. *Of course the tv viewer never sees the
house a few years later when the roof sags, or sees what occurs during
a tornado.


People who rip out load bearing walls are normally idiots.

They could very well be idiots but normally? No.

Modifying a structure after it's built is not that dissimilar to
modifying while it's still in the design phase....though one needs to
use constrcution tools rather than a keyboard or an eraser.

The wall was put there for support and is intended to stay
there.

Yes that is (was) true when the house was built.

But as long as one determines the required structural capacity &
replaces (or in some case because of code changes, increases it) the
structure will be fine.....that's why we have design folks.


People who think that a house is going to remain solid and survive in
severe storms leave their houses with their original structures.

Improperly done, wall removals can weaken a structure but done
properly you'll wind up with a structure that is as strong usually
stronger due to increases in capacity demanded by the code.

cheers
Bob