Here, we are performing the removal of a load-bearing wall to open up a kitchen and living-room area. Well, actually, before the customer contacted us to come out, they had another contractor begin the demolition. And as you can see in the picture below, they began to reframe it as if it had only been a non-loading bearing wall. It is very important to determine if a wall is load-bearing or not before demolishing it. It would have only been a matter of time before the roof collapse on this portion of the home.
The first thing we will do is build an intermittent support frame. We will use 2 x 4s and place it on one side of the existing wall; making sure to stay underneath and within the splice of the ceiling or floor joists above.
In the picture above, you can see the intermittent support frame in place. We have also begun to frame for the girders or headers that will be installed. We are utilizing 2 x 6 framing lumber for this because according to the local and national building codes our headers for these spans are required to consist of 3 – 2 x 12s side by side.
