3 week kitchen renovation. Taking out load bearing wall between kitchen and dining room.
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Well it could be worse. As I clicked on the new post I was thinking 'OH NO!'.
You can cook outside. You can ask your neighbors if you can cook for them - at their place...
So, these are the befores... Don't forget the afters!
And how, exactly, do you take out a LOAD BEARING wall? I have always thought that, well, you shouldn't. Did you discuss that with anyone? -
You have come to the right place. Several of us on these threads have had to remodel, weather we wanted to or not. The end results are great!Comment
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JGo37 you would normally replace a load bearing wall with a beam. I've got a 20 foot steel I-beam boxed in with wood, spanning the ceiling of one room, where the back wall of that room used to be, before I blew it out.
All that said, the framing on the wall in the above pictures is not typical of the load bearing walls I've built or torn into. Most load bearing 2x4 walls have a double header plate - the base plate is a single 2x4, but the top plate is 2 2x4's thick. That wall only has one 2x4 across the top. I've seen interior non load bearing walls with a single top plate, but never seen a load bearing wall that didn't have a double top plate.
Maybe the original builder cut some corners?
https://www.builderonline.com/produc...hing-returns_o
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Thank you. My questions are facetious, rhetorical, but sincere. I didn't think about spanning an I-beam to replace a wall. Don't tell my wife - she's an open plan devotee.
We had a 1880 Victorian in the Lou, downtown by Forest Park. Not sure I counted right, but I was able to count 55 doors inside. I for one loved it... Let's step into the library, cigar room, the music room, the butler, etc.
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jfmorris, the original builder definitely did cut some corners.
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Been there done that! We just did the entire kitchen, laundry room and a partial living room remodel. Used the motor home for driveway camping and spent a lot of time in the garage for about 5 weeks. Fortunately our garage has always kind of been an extension of the house so we've always had all the comforts out there. Wifi, TV, fridge freezers, beer fridge, full bar etc. so it wasn't too hard!
I made the most of it. I smoked ribs, tri tips, and beef ribs and pulled pork for the contractors while they were here. They loved it and it was a lot of fun for me. I used my flat top in the garage every morning for breakfast for everybody. Look at it as a opportunity to cook more outdoors!Comment
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Right now my wife has lots of crock pot meals planned. I'll probably grill a few times here and there, but we can't really plan for it due to my unpredictable work schedule and the weather.
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3 weeks? That sounds ambitious for what looks like needs doing. Drywall repair, electrical, paint, floors, cabinets and tops, man, that's a lot of work. Regardless, that is going to be a wonderful space. We remodeled our place last year (including the kitchen) and love it. As a contractor I do my own work, but I also built my own cabinets, which I have never done before. Now THAT took a LONG time to finish!Comment
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Best of luck with the reno!Comment
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I went though that this time last year. Took me a little over a month doing everything myself.
The hardest part will be doing dishes in the bath tub. The cooking is easy with outdoor cookers!
Good luck!
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After:
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Looks great Chief1232 we love our new kitchen and the entire remodel. It's like living in a new house. I can't do any of that stuff myself and i have plenty friends who offered to help do it but there was just too much involved and we needed plumbing and electrical inspectors to approve. Plus it would have taken 3 times longer when you have people who's job is not to remodel houses and they have regular jobs to go to.
We hired a general contractor and a kitchen designer and then stood back and watched! Oh and cooked!
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Next to bath, kitchen re-models are the toughest, especially if you are having to live with it.
As to the wall being bearing or not often times cannot be determined visually from below. The framing above and the stresses it transfers through walls to the foundation will tell the story.
I suggest you consult either a competent contractor who has framing knowledge or even a structural engineer. Removing a load bearing wall without proper shoring can obviously be dangerous as well as costly. Have a competent architect or engineer evaluate the situation and provide a solution.
But I’m hopefully preaching to the choir and you know all this and have such a solution. Good luck and let us see the ‘after’ shots of you new space !!Comment
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Yes Troutman, a professional contractor is taking care of it. Wall came down today actually.
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Today's update, wall is down!
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Very nice space! Cool clean-up crew too. We used to offer 'em a nickel for each nail they could pick up and straighten. Never cost us more than a buck before they lost interest....Comment
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It's starting to look like a kitchen again! Appliances will be moving out again next week to finish the floors. Walls are being patched, windows are being replaced and finish work will begin early next week, floors are scheduled for Wednesday. Hopefully counters and backsplash the following week.Attached FilesComment
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Been a few weeks since I updated. Floors were finished last week, counters went in today. Plumbing getting hooked up tomorrow, then we can finally start using the kitchen again! Hopefully the rest of the finish work, backsplash and painting will get done next week.Attached FilesComment
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