Guide to Removing a Load-Bearing Wall

Removing a load-bearing wall helps homeowners widen doors, expand rooms, or improve traffic flow. Older houses especially have lots of walls and narrow doors. Taking down a load-bearing wall can transform these segmented footprints into open-plan homes.

Few materials are required, making this an inexpensive project from the standpoint of purchasing materials. Removing a load-bearing wall is mostly about planning, design, and skilled labor. After the wall has been removed, another element like an engineered beam or a beam and posts must be installed.

What Is a Load-Bearing Wall?

Load-bearing walls are structural elements that help support the weight of the house. Non-load bearing walls, also called partition walls, do not support loads from above and are simply there to divide spaces. Removing a load-bearing wall and replacing it with a beam is significantly different from removing interior non-load-bearing walls.

With building, if something is removed, it must be replaced with something that does the same thing but in a different form. The solution is to replace the wall either with a beam that spans the entire space or with a beam that has supplemental vertical posts.

Why Remove a Load-Bearing Wall

Sectioning the house into separate rooms does have its advantages. It allows you to heat and cool rooms individually, plus it cuts down on the transmission of sound throughout the house.

But removing walls and significantly widening doorways makes the house feel more open and airy and updates it. Two rooms can be combined to form one larger room. Traffic flow is improved.

DIY vs. Professional Wall Removal

Most homeowners choose to hire a contractor for this heavy project.

Do-it-yourself homeowners must adhere to the local building code requirements and pass inspections, just like a commercial builder. Most municipalities limit this type of work to property owners doing their own work on property that they own and occupy.

Since all municipalities are different, check with your local permitting authority or building department for guidance.

Permits For Wall Removal

Local permitting authorities will want to know if you are taking down a wall that affects the structural integrity of your home. You may even need to submit a detailed plan regarding an alternative support system. Large walls may require an architect's drawing and/or an engineer's stamp of approval.

The National Electrical Code requires outlets every 12 feet along a wall in general areas. So, it's likely that the wall you intend to remove contains outlets that need to be terminated or re-routed, actions that may require permitting.

Steps for Removing a Load-Bearing Wall

1. Install temporary 2×4 braces on either side of the wall to eliminate the risk of damage or collapse.
2. Cut through the wall plaster using a reciprocating saw to expose the studs.
   
3. Use the saw to cut through the wall above each stud and remove them from the opening.
4. Create a header by taking two pieces of 2x8 lumber and placing filler strips between them. Sandwich the filler strips between the two pieces of 2x8 lumber.
5. Attach nail filler block to the jack stud and then screw the jack stud to the king stud.
6. Install the plaster and header opening by applying construction adhesive to the back of the plaster and along the header opening.
7. Insert the header into the opening and use a hammer to tap in new studs.
   
8. Secure the nail jack studs to the king studs on each side to create the new opening.
9. Remove the temporary braces installed in the first step.

Beam Materials Used For Wall Removal

When shopping at the local home center, 4x4s and 4x6s may look sturdy enough to replace a wall, but they aren't. Special lumber will be needed, whether you create it yourself or buy one that's already made:

• DIY beam: A classic way to build structural beams is by nailing two or more 2x10s or 2x12s together. Separating the boards is a layer of 1/2-inch plywood to create a built-up beam.
• Engineered beam: For do-it-yourselfers, a better option is to order laminated veneer lumber (LVL). LVLs pack greater strength into a smaller space than similarly sized dimensional lumber. Thus, a 4-inch by 6-inch LVL will be stronger than a single piece of 4x6 dimensional lumber.

Adding Posts to the Span

A horizontal structural beam of sufficient structural quality must replace the wall. Other than the two ends, the beam with this arrangement has no vertical bearing points.

A horizontal beam with one or more intermediate posts between the two end-bearing points is usually a better replacement than having a structural beam alone.

From a structural standpoint, the more vertical supports, the better. From an aesthetic standpoint, this limits flow and runs counter to the open floorplan concept—the reason for spanning long distances with a structural beam only.

Intervening vertical posts (or columns) under a carrying beam do take away from that flawless open floor plan look. However, any kind of vertical support you can add under a horizontal beam will give your beam assembly far greater strength. 

Additionally, if you are having issues with the beam protruding too far below ceiling level, posts can allow you to get by with a smaller, and thus less protruding, beam.

Other Wall Removal Considerations

Temporary Supports

Before removing any part of a load-bearing wall's framing, you must build a temporary support wall on both sides of the load-bearing wall.

The floor joists above may have their ends resting on the load-bearing wall. If you add temporary support on only one side of the wall, the joists on the other side may not be supported.

Beam Exposure

In some cases, the replacement beam will be lower than the height of the ceiling. This is because the floor structure above rests on top of the beam.

To make the beam flush with the ceiling, an alternative is to cut back the floor joists above and set the beam into the plane of the floor, then hang the ends of the joists from the sides of the beam using metal joist hangers.

This second option requires considerably more work than simply replacing the load-bearing wall with a beam below the joists, and may not be an option in some situations.

Calculating Spans

Span tables are readily available to help with sizing beams, taking into account factors like deflection, shear, deadweight vs. live weight, and roof loads. This makes beam sizing difficult for the do-it-yourselfer.

If you do decide to remove the wall yourself, a structural engineer or contractor can consult with you on the proper size of the beam. Some structural engineers may agree to work on a per-hour basis. It's a cost that is worth it in terms of passing the building inspection.