Editor's note: Portions of this column were previously published on deseretnews.com and on their website at renovationdesigngroup.com.
Identifying load-bearing walls is an important part of home remodeling. However, just because a wall is a structural wall doesn’t mean it can’t be removed if needed. Removing a load-bearing wall is not a design deal breaker.
We have discussed removing structural walls in this column before, but it is worth discussing again.
Removing a structural wall is not so difficult that avoiding this possibility should be the driving factor in the redesign of your home. The most important consideration is to determine how your family functions and how your home can be changed to support your lifestyle.
If a structural wall needs to come down to achieve your goals, then so be it.
Removing a load-bearing wall will require the services of a structural engineer. When a project requires structural changes, the municipal body that will issue the building permit will require stamped, signed drawings and calculations issued by a licensed structural engineer.
Before beginning to draw final drawings, we like to meet with the engineer at the home to consult on what the existing structural conditions probably are. At this stage, design professionals use their expertise and experience to make educated assumptions regarding the structural framing of the house. If the structure is not visible, a few test holes may be cut here and there which are helpful. However, it is not until the contractor actually tears into the project that the whole structural story may be known.
There are many ways to put a house together — some much better than others — so it is not shocking or upsetting if part of the solution has to be reconsidered. When you have created a great team with a competent, experienced architect, engineer and contractor, the adjustments can be quickly made, and you are on your way again. There is usually not a great financial impact to such a redesign. Keeping a 10 percent contingency fund will help in not being stressed by the adjustments that may happen along the way.
The load-bearing wall has been absorbing the load of the floor or roof above across its length and transferring that load down to additional structure below, such as a slab, foundation, or another wall. Remember that every load has to travel down to the earth, where it is absorbed. To replace the bearing wall, a beam must be installed in its place. The proper size of the beam will be determined by the structural engineer in consultation with your architect.
We can select a number of profiles for a beam, such as tall and skinny or short and fat, depending on the architectural design of the home. There are times when we may not want to see the beam at all; in this case, the architect works with the engineer to place the beam above the ceiling rather that under it.
In any case, the uniform load of the structure above (picture floor joists or roof rafters resting on the beam at even increments) will then be gathered at two (or more) points, which are the columns that will be holding the beam up. These columns will then transfer the load down on its way to the ground.
Understanding that the load needs to get to the ground will help see that opening up a wall on the main level will have some impact in the basement. If the column added on the main floor does not rest on the foundation or another bearing wall, another column will need to be added on the lower level to transfer the load to the ground.
In residential construction, columns are not large. They are often just three 2-by-4 studs ganged together, so they can fit nicely inside a wall. In order to install them, the wall needs to be opened, but it can be patched and painted so that you would never know there had been a disturbance.
Depending on the size of the load and where it hits the basement floor, a new concrete footing may be required to receive the load of the column. This can be added by removing the flooring (for instance, peeling back the carpet), removing a piece of the existing 4-inch concrete slab, and pouring a new, more substantial concrete footing.
A common size would be a chunk of concrete about 3 feet by 3 feet by 1 foot, but your structural engineer will size it correctly for the load. As with the column, the flooring can then be reinstalled and you will never know the footing is there.
While it may sound like a lot of trouble, it is done all the time and is not all that daunting. It will cost several thousand dollars (but not tens of thousands) and is worth the effort and expense because of the impact it will have on how your home functions and, therefore, on the life of your family.
Our 21st century lifestyle craves light, open, inclusive spaces in which to gather family and friends together. You are not a slave to your home; take charge and make it work for you. You will be so glad you did!
Ann Robinson and Annie V. Schwemmer are the principal architects and co-founders of a residential architectural firm focused on life-changing remodeling designs at RenovationDesignGroup.com. Send comments or questions to ask@RenovationDesignGroup.com