Studies have shown that about 81 percent of homeowners do DIY improvements to their houses. And while some projects are relatively straightforward, others can have a more serious impact if done wrong. Painting is relatively risk-free, but knocking down walls is another matter entirely. Removing a load bearing wall is a major project, and you need to know what you’re doing before you take it on.
Read on to learn how to remove a load bearing wall safely and what to replace that structure with.
What Is a Load Bearing Wall?
Before we dive into what’s involved with removing a load-bearing wall, let’s talk some about what they are. In simplest terms, a load-bearing wall is any wall that’s helping to support the structure of your house. The joists of your roof or your upper floor rest on top of that wall, which helps to transfer the load down to the floor.
Removing non-load-bearing walls is a relatively straightforward process since you don’t have to worry about them contributing to the structure of the house. But taking down a load-bearing wall without properly transferring that load could be catastrophic. Depending on the wall and the overall structure of the house, you could get everything from sagging ceilings to a full roof collapse.
How to Identify a Load-Bearing Wall
If you’re going to take down a wall, it’s very important to check if it’s load-bearing first. One simple way to do this is to take a look at the joists running through the ceiling over the wall. In general, if the wall runs perpendicular to the joists, it’s load-bearing; if it runs parallel, it isn’t load-bearing.
However, this only serves as a general rule of thumb, and some walls that run parallel to joists are structurally important, and vice versa. If you have any doubt about whether the wall is, in fact, load bearing, it’s a good idea to call a structural engineer. They can let you know if you can safely take the wall down and what sort of beam you’ll need to replace it if you do take it down.
Get Permits
Before you pick up a hammer or saw, you need to make sure you have appropriate permits for the work you’re doing. Most cities want to know when you’re doing major structural work to a home, including removing major walls. They’ll want to make sure the work gets inspected to ensure that you aren’t making the home dangerous for yourself or future owners.
Check on your city regulations and see if they require you to get a permit to remove a load-bearing wall. If you do, go ahead and get the paperwork and pay the fees you need to in order to request the permit. The permitting process can take several weeks, so the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be able to move forward with your project.
Decide Whether to Use a Post
While you’re waiting for permits to get approved, you can make a few decisions about what you want your final space to look like. One of the biggest choices you’ll need to make is whether to include a post in your newly-opened space or not. While this can interfere somewhat with the open-concept look, adding a post can have its own benefits.
If you’re wanting to conceal your structural beam as much as possible, a post can help to carry some of the load, meaning you can get away with a smaller beam. A post can also make it possible to open up a very long wall that wouldn’t be reasonable to remove without some additional support. This is a decision to discuss with a structural engineer when you talk about what sort of beam you need.
Buy or Make a Beam
The other major decision you’ll need to make is whether you want to build or buy your structural beam. Buying a laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beam can help you get more strength in less space. These are usually competitively priced and can be made to order, meaning you can get it in whatever dimensions you need.
If you plan to make your own beam, you’ll need to start with 2x10s or 2x12s and some ½” plywood. You’ll need to glue and bolt together at least two of the two-bys with a layer of the plywood in between. Once again, you need to talk to a structural engineer about your requirements for a support beam.
Install Braces
Once you get your work permit approved and decide on a layout, you’ll be ready to start work. Before you ever touch the wall you’re going to be removing, you need to give your ceiling some temporary support. This means building a temporary wall that will carry the load while you get your beam in place.
Start by screwing a top plate to the ceiling joists about six inches away from the wall you want to remove. Cut a series of studs that will fit between the top and bottom plates, and screw them into the bottom plate so that they’re spaced about 16 inches apart. Stand your wall up, make sure everything is level, and then screw the studs into the top plate.
Demo the Wall
Once you’ve built support walls on either side of your load-bearing wall, you’ll be ready to start on demo. If your wall is covered in sheetrock, this should be a relatively straightforward process. Use a hammer or sledgehammer to knock down the sheetrock, taking care to remove any outlets or switches in that wall.
If your home is a little older, you may have plaster and lathe walls. If this is the case, put on a mask or respirator and knock the plaster off of the lathe with a claw hammer. From there, you can use a pry bar to remove the lathe or cut through them with a jigsaw, again being careful to avoid any wires or pipes.
Remove the Studs
Once you have the external structure of the wall removed, you’ll be ready to start taking down the studs. A reciprocating saw can be helpful for this, although you can use a hand saw if you don’t have access to power tools. It’s important to make sure all wires, pipes, and ducts are out of the way before you begin this work.
Start by cutting through the vertical studs as close to the bottom plate as you can. Then, use a sledgehammer to hit the old studs out, making sure to cut off the nails that may be left sticking out of your top plate. Repeat this with all the studs in your load-bearing wall, and then use a pry bar to take out the bottom plate.
Cut a Slot in Your Ceiling
With the wall removed, you’ll be ready to start prepping the remaining space for your structural beam to go in. The first thing you’ll need to do is to cut a slot in your ceiling for the beam to slide into. If you’re leaving the beam below the ceiling joists, this should just be a matter of removing sheetrock or plaster.
If you’re planning to set your beam into the joists, you’ll need to cut a slot in your joists wide enough for it to fit. Once your beam is in place, you’ll need to use joist hangers to secure the end of each cut joist to the beam. You can use a reciprocating saw for this, too, although you should always be careful when working above your head.
Set Up Your Beam Cradle
Now that your space is prepped, you’ll be ready to start on the process of installing your beam. The first thing you’ll need to do is to build a beam cradle. This will support your beam while you nail it in place so you and your assistants don’t have to try to hold it the entire time – structural beams can weigh hundreds of pounds.
Start by cutting a 2×4 to the height of your space from the floor to the top of where your beam will rest. Stand it up so that the wide side is touching your top and bottom plates, and screw it into those plates. Then cut another stud to the height that the bottom of your beam will be at once it’s installed and stand it up perpendicular to the board you just put in place.
Your beam cradle should make a T shape with the top arm of the T screwed to your support wall. Once that’s in place, repeat the process on the other end of your support wall to create a spot for your beam to rest.
Lift Your Beam and Shim
Once your beam cradles are built and secured, it will be time for the hard part: lifting the beam into place. It’s important that you work with a team of people to do this. Structural beams are extremely heavy, and you all need to use proper safety precautions while you install it.
Lift your beam up and set it on your cradles, slotting it into the ceiling and walls if necessary. Chances are your beam cradles will be a little low, so use shims to drive the beam up until it’s snug against your joists or tie plate or until it’s even with the bottoms of the cut joists. Check that it’s in the proper position before you start securing anything in place.
Install Trimmers and Beam Ends
After you get your beam in the right position, you’ll need to start securing it in place. Begin by cutting 2x4s to the length between your floor and the bottom of your beam. Set these trimmers in place at the ends of your support beam, using a hammer to tap them into place against the wall, and screw them into place.
If you’re working with a raised home, you’re also going to want to add some extra support for those trimmers underneath your floor. Go into your basement or crawl space and find the floor joists that run directly under your new trimmers. Cut blocks to fit in between these joists and screw it into place to help carry that load down.
Screw in the Beam
Your next step will be to start securing the beam to your top plate, or ceiling joists. If you’re setting the beam into the ceiling, this is where you’ll need to install joist hangers at each of the cut ends. You’ll also need to screw the beam into the framing at the ends of the wall, making sure to use plenty of long screws.
If you’re placing your beam below the ceiling, screw it to your top plate by driving screws up at a diagonal angle into the plate above. Make sure to space your screws every foot or so apart and to screw from both sides of the beam. You’ll also need to screw the beam to the end framing to ensure it gets enough support.
Remove Your Support Walls
Once you’re sure your beam is firmly attached to your framing, you’ll be ready to remove your support walls. Start by removing your beam cradles with a sledgehammer or by removing the screws you used to attach it. Then you can start taking down your studs and, finally, remove your top and bottom plate.
As you remove these supports, keep a close eye on your beam to make sure it doesn’t shift. If gaps appear around the top of the beam or you notice any cracking, stop right away. Put the supports back in place and give your beam some extra support on either end or call your structural engineer for advice.
Learn to Remove a Load Bearing Wall
Removing a load bearing wall is a massive job and not one you want to take on lightly. Make sure you know exactly what sort of support beam you need and that you pull the appropriate permits. Set up an appropriate support wall before you remove your load-bearing wall, and secure your beam well before you take those supports down.
If you’d like to learn more about how to remove a load-bearing wall, check out the rest of our site at DFW Wall Removal. We provide quality wall removal, and in most cases, our work is done in one day. Check out our reviews today and get your job done 100 percent to your needs.