I have a wall that in the living room that runs directly into a wall in the kitchen. Both are outside walls and both are running in the same direction, say North to South. There is a door leading to the back deck between the two walls. We cut a whole in the living room wall (just throught the wood paneling not completely throught the wall), to the right of the door, in order to place a pet door in the the wall. When I removed the piece of wood paneling here is what I noticed from the living room wall to the door (left to right). First there are 6 2x4 all together going up the wall. It looks as if 3 support the living room which has no attic above it, it is a slanted ceiling 8' at the end I am working with and 15' at the opposite end. The other 3 2x4s look as if they support the kitchen celing, which has an attic above it and the entire kitchen ceiling is 8'. There is then aproximately 6 inches of space and then the deck door frame and casing. I need to know if what I am thing is possible or if there is something better that I can do. I am thinking of installing a double
2x4 support to the left of the existing supports. Then installing a 2 foot high 2x4 next to the new supports and another next to the deck door frame and casing. I was then going to cut the existing supports so that they would rest on 2 2x6 turned on their sides which rest on the 2' 2x4s. Creating an upside down U in which I can install the pet door. I am thinking that I should support the ceiling somehow before I cut the beams. Please advise me before I make my house fall down.
Thanks, John Davis