Because the work involved costs more to remove a load-bearing wall, special precautions are needed before and during. Expect the price of its removal to start from $10,000 for walls in a single-story home. It’ll cost as much as $30,000 for walls in homes with two stories or more.
The factors that affect the cost of removing partitions mentioned in the previous section will also apply to load-bearing ones. The increased difficulty and complication of its removal drives up the cost.
Prep work is needed. This will not only involve moving your stuff away or covering them up when it comes to load-bearing walls. Temporary supports must be installed on both sides of the wall to act as the brace before the actual tear down.
These supports are vital in preventing damage. In extreme cases, taking down a portion without them in place can cause the building elements above to collapse sooner or later. Although some choose to skip the installation of such supports, know that this is a very risky move.
After removal, structural beams are required. These will now bear the structure’s weight. Different beams can be installed. Laminated veneer lumber is typically used. The size of these beams will vary, depending on the weight they must support and the opening size.
Because of all these, DIY removal of a load-bearing wall is not an option. You must hire a structural engineer to plan for its proper removal and design. He’ll determine the right kind of beam to replace the wall. There will be a team of contractors and workers who will do the actual work. It includes other pros like plumbers electricians if needed.
Installing a Beam
Even if you will not do the actual work, it is still a good idea for you to know the steps involved in removing a load-bearing wall. It’s particularly an interior made of drywall, and install a beam to replace it.
The preparation stage involves the following:
- Consult with a structural engineer first. They will let you know how it should be properly removed to minimize any potential risks.
- After finalizing plans, transfer all your stuff found within the vicinity of the workspace elsewhere. If this is not possible, cover them up with tarp and the like. You can also cover up the floors with plastic sheets, but placing pieces of plywood over them will give better protection.
- Cover up any air vents to prevent dust from entering them. It can spread throughout your home once your HVAC system is switched on. Knocking down a wall is a very messy project. It will involve a lot of dust and debris that can go everywhere if not confined to a single area.
- Switch off electricity, even if there are no electrical lines found behind the wall. But if other utility lines are present, make sure to also cut the supply for them to prevent accidents.
- Get all trim, baseboards, molding, and other accents removed. This can easily be done using a pry bar. Doors and the like that are installed or attached to the wall should also be removed. Nothing should remain on the surface.
- Check for the presence of any utility lines, as these must be rewired or relocated.
Once the necessary prep work is completed, the next stage is the actual tear down. The proper way of doing so involves these steps:
- Make an outline that will determine the extent of removal. Also identify the studs to avoid hitting them by accident when removing the drywall.
- With a utility knife, score along the lines created but do this carefully to avoid cutting through the framing or studs as well.
- Create a starter hole using a hammer or sledgehammer. While this can be done in any section, the starter hole should be found in between studs and away from any utility lines.
- Use a reciprocating saw or drywall saw to cut along the marked lines, starting from the starter hole. This will allow a more precise and neater removal of the drywall along those lines.
- Alternate using the sledgehammer and saw until all the drywall has been removed.
- In case there is insulation behind the surface, this should be removed carefully.
- If utility lines and HVAC mechanisms are present, they should be removed or relocated before proceeding.
- Clean up to make the succeeding steps easier to do.
- Install the temporary supports on each side of the load bearing portion. The supports will depend on the recommendations of the structural engineer. These can be as simple as a piece of 2x4s on each side, ideally placed between 2 to 4 feet from the opening or actual columns. A horizontal support is also needed.
- Remove the studs by making horizontal cuts using the reciprocating saw at their halfway points. After cutting through a stud, grab one of the halves and pull it off either by hand or using a pry bar. Repeat until all studs have been removed.
- The studs on each end of the wall should be removed last. They’re also referred to as the frame. Because they are nailed in place, use the reciprocating saw to cut through the nails. Pry the studs away afterwards.
- Any sill present should also be removed; it can be done simply by pulling them away by hand or with a pry bar.
- After all the studs and sills have been removed, look for and remove any stuck nails and nail pieces.
You should now have a new opening. The job is not yet done because of a horizontal beam, whether exposed or flushed. It still has to be installed to place the load-bearing wall. A structural engineer can calculate the structural load and determine what kind of beam is needed based on those calculations.
These horizontal beams can be installed flushed to the ceiling or left exposed. It is just a matter of preference. However, a flush beam installation is more complicated.
Exposed horizontal beams are typically installed this way:
- Install supports on both sides of the new opening. They are also known as king studs. These studs should cover the entire length of the opening, from floor to ceiling. They will connect the new beam to the existing frame.
- Place another set of support over the king studs. They are known as jack studs. These studs are shorter than the king studs, measuring the height of the king stud minus the height of the beam. The space between the jack stud and the ceiling joists is where the beam will be placed.
- Cut the support beam according to size. Make sure it fits the gap between the ceiling joists and jack studs, as well as the space between both king studs.
- Once cut, place it starting from the top and hammering it into place until it is fully set.
- Nail the support beam in place, making sure to screw it to one of the joists above it on each end.
- Install the next beam over the first one and nail them together. Repeat this step until the right number of beams are in place, then screw the last piece of support beam to each of the joists above it.
- Add another piece of jack stud on each side to fully support the new beam.
Note that some pros choose to install all jack studs at the last step; either way is correct.
While installing a flushed horizontal beam generally follows the same steps above, they differ in these aspects:
- Instead of simply installing the beams below the joists, sections of these joists will be cut to accommodate the new beams.
- The new horizontal beam is located directly below the ceiling, at the same level as the joists.
- Joist hangers are installed on each end of the joist that is connected to the beam. These will support and keep the joists in place.
Once the new beam is in place, the temporary supports installed earlier can be removed. Remember to clean up before doing the final touches on the new opening. It prevents dust and debris from sticking to the new paint or finish applied.
