Load bearing wall removal, beams question.

[aka619er]

The wife and I are currently doing a house remodel. Our kitchen is in the middle of our house and it's a galley style kitchen. Our plan is to flip out current kitchen to where our dining room is in the corner with minimal expense since we have all new cabinets, countertops and floors on the way. The only changes will be we plan on knocking out 4 walls and installing 4 beams and 4 posts opening the kitchen to the family and living rooms and creating a large entertaining space. Then putting a 14' bar top counter facing the new kitchen. Sadly our house is a clerestory and somewhat different.

So the current kitchen is the left most beginning of the clerestory. To the left of that is the dining room with a normal 8' flat ceiling.
I keep reading that there are span or beam books that tell people what they need but it's all a foreign language to me. The current and future kitchen are both 11' x 13'. Dead load as it's 1 story.
Can anybody give me any direction on beams, posts and footings? My plan was to just ago way overkill but no idea what that means. Here are a few more current pictures. We just knocked out a soffit above the cabinets and removed all the flooring so the house is a disaster. The visquen is to keep the hot air from coming in from the attic.

 

[cofooter]

Not trying to be a smart ass but would be good to get some engineering input when taking down load walls vs someone's opinion from pictures

 

[Yellowboat]

I am a gc with a back ground in se. Call a good se near you spend the money and have them draw it up and stamp it.

 

[braindead]

3 1/4" X 11 1/4" psl on all four sides.
4x4 posts with brackets connecting the post to the beams and post to the floors.
Pads should be 2x2 approx 18" deep with 3 paces of 1/2" rebar each way.

If you want your ceilings to flow and be the same height in your new kitchen area, cut out the top plates, cut the studs on top of the top plate high enough to sit on top of the new beam and hang your CJ's off the new beam for a more modern look.

If you want it to look like the rest of your house, put the beam all the way up to the plates and drywall around it.

Do not forget to support the roof and ceiling joists while R&R the old beams

 

[aka619er]

Not trying to be a smart ass but would be good to get some engineering input when taking down load walls vs someone's opinion from pictures

So far I have had 3 structural engineers at the house and they all said the general contractors write up plans and drawling and they approve or change them.
Then I've had 2 general contractors and they said its the structural engineers that draw it up.
I trust the RDP braintrust more than advice I almost get anyplace else do to the amazing diversity in this group.
Its a different world in Yuma, AZ.

 

[Yellowboat]

Are you calling pe or se?

Never heard of an se not wanting to do an as built drawing. More so with such a complex roof line.

 

[aka619er]

Minimal expense will be tough. Hopefully a raised foundation for plumbing.


It usually the architect that draws it up and structural engineer specs beam sizes. But have done one where structural engineer drew it up. If you were close I would stop by and check it out. Will be at one tomorrow I opened up and can post some pics. Engineer specd 7x14 PSL beams with 4x10 posts and added a shear wall to make up for wall removed.

What kind of spans are you covering? And roof loads?

 

[aka619er]

Are you calling pe or se?

Never heard of an se not wanting to do an as built drawing. More so with such a complex roof line.

You have never done business in Yuma, AZ, then. This is the city that nobody does what they say they will, when they say they will. Nobody can tell you if you need permits, even the city/county.
As my dad has said, if you can find a way to just take care of customer service in this city, you would own it. Many people I know bring people in from San Diego or Phoenix as is easier.

 

[hallett21]

You have never done business in Yuma, AZ, then. This is the city that nobody does what they say they will, when they say they will. Nobody can tell you if you need permits, even the city/county.
As my dad has said, if you can find a way to just take care of customer service in this city, you would own it. Many people I know bring people in from San Diego or Phoenix as is easier.

Any structural engineer could do the drawing for you. You could even have it sent out to someone if you had architectural drawings.

Is there a way you can get them an architectural drawing to go off of?

Do you have access to your original drawings when the house was built?




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[aka619er]

Any structural engineer could do the drawing for you. You could even have it sent out to someone if you had architectural drawings.

Is there a way you can get them an architectural drawing to go off of?

Do you have access to your original drawings when the house was built?




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No, I already went to the public records/city and requested them. No joy. My dad has offered the services of a structural engineer in San Diego that he uses if I drew it up like I did. Havent heard a thing on if it was good enough or need more info.
Thats why I like asking people here.

 

[hallett21]

No, I already went to the public records/city and requested them. No joy. My dad has offered the services of a structural engineer in San Diego that he uses if I drew it up like I did. Havent heard a thing on if it was good enough or need more info.
Thats why I like asking people here.

The more info you can give the engineer the better.

Without knowledge of slab depths, footings, etc the engineer will be making certain assumptions in his drawings. The engineer will put the note “verify in field”.

Most engineers can make a decent educated guess on what kind of foundation your home has.

Either way they will be able to tell you what lumber you need to carry the loads. The question mark will be what does all of that lumber sit on and tie into.




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[mesquito_creek]

I would want an set of engineered plans on that... I went on google in Yuma Arizona and found a dozen designer/architects in town. You must have not found the right person yet. Are you being clear with them that you are an owner builder who is going to do all the work or hire your own subs? I would call them and say "I am an owner builder who needs a set of engineered plans for a kitchen remodel that will be removing load bearing walls. I need a full set of plans to get my through permitting". I am GC in Phoenix as did it that way back in the day all the time. A good designer/architect should even offer you the service of the engineered plans with the permits in hand as the deliverable.

I don't know how anyone could recommend sizing over the internet without a site visit to look at a bunch of things on site. Roof type, existing footing sizes and a look through the attic etc...

 

[Rbcconst]

Az is nothing like CA. They don’t require engineering until the walls are over 8’ or maybe its 10’. In ca you better have your dog house engineered.

That being said you still need to have it engineered. Keep calling until you find someone.


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[mesquito_creek]

Az is nothing like CA. They don’t require engineering until the walls are over 8’ or maybe its 10’. In ca you better have your dog house engineered.

That being said you still need to have it engineered. Keep calling until you find someone.


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It’s not like that anymore in AZ... At least in Phoenix Metro, you need engineering on just about anything besides simple patio covers.

 

[28Eliminator]

Good god... the comments.. lol. Get a licensed architect/engineer to do a legit set of plans. And ignore everything posted in this post so far.. fuck.


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[HB2Havasu]

It’s much less expensive to have an Architectural Engineer do all the designs then send it over to a Structural Engineer for Approval/Stamp Off than having a Structural Engineer do everything. I wouldn’t even think about doing this much removal of load bearing walls without Stamps & Permits! Not worth the risk!!! Remember your family is living in it!

 

[KMH]

Call Chris Thompson in Yuma 928.343.1694

 

[WYRD]

Grab a beer, get a buddy, tell him "here-hold my beer n watch this!" Then git-r-done