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Supporting and Repairing Load Bearing Walls

Charlie and Bob discuss how important it is to determine where the load-bearing walls are when undertaking a major remodel. Charlie points out the doubled-up 18-inch Georgia-Pacific LVL that is now carrying the entire load of the sidewall and the roof. During the installation Charlie found serious termite damage at the bottom of the support post. Since the LVL (or any beam) is only as strong as the posts that support it, Charlie cut out the damaged piece and put a new pressure-treated pad in and then posted it up with 2 x4s to tie it all in and create a solid point of transfer for the load. Using studs Charlie also created some temporary supports for the second floor joist system while he replaced load-bearing walls with a triple LVL and a 4 x 6 post. This basically transfers the load down to the basement to a lally column which will go down onto a concrete pad. The LVLs are 1 3/4-inch by 9 1/4-inch by 11 feet long.

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Opening up the Kitchen Space Now Playing

Opening up the Kitchen Space

Supporting and Repairing Load Bearing Walls Now Playing

Supporting and Repairing Load Bearing Walls

Discussion of the Home's Floor Plan Now Playing

Discussion of the Home's Floor Plan

Clip Transcript For:

Supporting and Repairing Load Bearing Walls

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Well the lesson to be learned from all of this demolition is that whenever you have a little old nineteenth century house and you want to tear down a lot of walls and make big rooms you really can't do it without bringing in a structural engineering getting an idea of where the load bearing walls are. We've already installed a big new piece of lumber over here we've already taken out some of the original. Framework of the house that the old plumbing stack that was here in the corners also gun but Charlie let's talk about this first LVL that you've put in here. I mean that's a big sucker that's a doubled up one right that's an 18 inch Georgia Pacific LVL. And it is carrying the entire load of the sidewall and the roof silo roof correct and our objective -- to open up all the space across the way right any surprises when you put this one well we had weren't surprised me. -- opening up. This area here we turned around and we found some termite damage to the bottom of this post was. Gonzo right and of course the LVL or any beam is only as good as the posts that are holding. That that transfer does the load of the frame so what have you done here we've cut this out we cut a piece that was damaged ago weighed down. Put a new pad in -- treated pad and then posted it up of all these two reports the title and so that is basically a solid point of transfer for that load. Same thing at the other right. And now you've got a lot of new studs that are temporarily in place right right -- so that we can put in we have a triple LVL -- going in here. In order to get that in we have to remove this to remove this we have to support our floor joists above this is all about the second floor. Joist system and how to temporarily hold it up while you're removing. Other walls right this little wall in here is that the kind of partition that somebody might say oh we can tear that out we had two rooms into one and on the second story the second floor program and stop them as the load of these -- of these floor joists is carried by the swell and once. Once we put up the next LVL will be able to remove partition right. Re gonna get started well and -- right here. Where are -- temporary walls up here. We're bringing in the LVL walls that right up there right here yes and we'll bring no way across to. Just before the Jimmy. And be supported in here about post and then we'll before our ethics spokesman here. So we've got some joists to cut out over in this direction them. So now we're just snapping a chalk line where that cut is going to be. And here more than ever it's important measure twice and just cut once. -- again joists are all trimmed back in the last. We'll -- cut let's try to bring it out right. And let's -- to the dumpster. OK so before we put up. The tripled LVL we've got to put up posted here. Four by six right here. -- who you can refute that you're. OK now the LVLs are actually. Going to be tripled up right that's very -- What size are these Charlie these it's and three quarter by Rihanna right now and want to -- eleven feet long. And now we'll tack them all into place one by one. --"

" OK so here's another example of why nothing is ever standard. In a hundred or 150 year old house this is. A two inch joist hanger but it's too big for the actually undersized. Joists that we've got -- so all of them have been cut down by an inch and a half so they fit properly the -- now. So Charlie next time I'll bring you a better compressor and a palm nailer so you can speed up this operation."

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