Making a double door in a wall into a wider opening 150cm to 300cm

[charliegolf]

Hi, we've had this opening since we had the house built in 95- we removed the doors soon after, making more of a lounge-dining room than separates. Wifey has pronounced by edict that the hole is to be doubled, because, "It will be nice."

The wall is timber, and load bearing, as is the 'lintel' above the door. There is no steel.

Will a beam be needed; and if so (as I suspect) how will the timber beam be removed- memory says it's multiple nailled timbers across the opening. The wall is 4" thick.

Thanks.

CG

 

[TicTac]

Timber walls aren't load bearing, only brick ones, but the suggestion is that you have a timber framed house, so you can't stick a steel in as it need to be supported on bricks. This is only speculation, but it may be possible to extend the opening as it can't be a load bearing wall, and there's no real weight above it.

 

[Newboy]

Timber walls aren't load bearing,

I wouldn't bank on that!

 

[Newboy]

Extending an opening in a timber (load bearing) wall is OK but will require additional support and possibly a flitch beam - you need to have the existing wall structure checked and a structural engineer design/calculate necessary works.

 

[^woody^]

What is the type of load that this wall is supposed to be supporting?

 

[charliegolf]

What is the type of load that this wall is supposed to be supporting?

The house is 8m ish front to rear. There is a staggered wall running the length of the building, supporting the first floor joists. Would an 8m span be usual in one joist? Quick look at span tables suggest not.

 

[John D v2.0]

Anything is possible at a cost, do you have the orignal drawings for the house or anything from the SE? Steel don't need to be supported on bricks, they just need adequate support and restraint, which could be the top of a timber post if calculations show it won't buckle.

 

[^woody^]

A double 50x225 or 250 timber beam may well do, but the issue with inserting new timber into existing loading situations is that it can deflect unreasonably while it dries out and acclimatises. So allowances need to be made

Otherwise a flitch beam is an option but this may end up thicker than the existing wall. So that leaves an angle or C section and timber.

The posts at the bearing will need some consideration too

 

[charliegolf]

An SE it is then. Not that I'd let anyone knock hole in my wall without... Cheers everyone.