Load bearing wall removal question?

[Jetmech]

I'm in the midst of removing a load bearing wall. Heres what Im up against

I'm removing the wall in question. This wall is sitting on top of floor joists that run parrelel to it, with an attic above it with no storage and a hip roof. The joists that span over it are 2x5's. They run 10 feet and sit on top of the wall in question, then continue on another foot and are face nailed to a 2X5 joist running from an inside load bearing wall to the back wall. I cut the sheetrock from under that joist and slipped in a joist hangar on each of the joists that are face nailed to it. Then i went up and installed two 2x12's that also sit on the middle load wall and span over to the back wall. I then nailed and screwed the original 2x5 joist to the sistered 2x12. Do you think this will be enough support? The two 2x12's with the

2x5 nailed to it span 11 feet. When I ripped the plaster off the wall to expose the studs, I noticed that all the studs were pretty loose. I figured if there was a big weight load on them, then would they not be under compression? I can see the nail shanks on some of them coming through the top plate.

[BobK207]

Huh?

Kinda hard to follow your description......back wall, middle wall, load wall? Quit it with the pronouns.

Label (or number) the walls in the sketch & consistently use those labels (or numbers) .

Are you talking about floor joists or ceiling joists or both?

Add some white space to your posts....makes them easier to read.

What does the addition of the double 2x12 have to do with the "wall in question"?

The problems in the system when you remove "the wall in question" will be:

1. the connection between the joists (that where supported by the wall, now removed) & the single joist that all (now unsupported) the joists that frame into it. (see if they had numbers in the dwg, they'd be easy to refer to)

1. the strength of the single joist (#?) that now supports all the joists (#??) that were previously supported by the removed wall (#???)

My best guess it that your sketch contains some new construction as well as proposed demo & modification of an existing structure.

cheers Bob

[gpsman]

Wear a hardhat. -----

- gpsman

[mikee]

yes this is enough for the middle loaded wall over kill if anything you only needed one 2x6 (because that wall is staying) for fire stop block.

"the wall in question" in order to remove this wall you will have to triple (add 2 more 2x6's) the carrying joist. install hangars post under each end all the way to basement beam or add column under post MUST BE SOLID FRAMING TO SOLID FOOTING now you can remove the wall

Then i went up and installed two 2x12's that | also sit on the middle load wall and span over to the back wall.

this is called a strong back

I | then nailed and screwed the original 2x5 joist to the sistered 2x12.

screws are not as strong as nails for loads.

The two 2x12's with the | 2x5 nailed to it span 11 feet. When I ripped the plaster off the wall | to expose the studs, I noticed that all the studs were pretty loose. | I figured if there was a big weight load on them, then would they not | be under compression? I can see the nail shanks on some of them | coming through the top plate. |

[Jetmech]

This drawing shows where the new 2x12 sits.

[BobK207]

Updated, sketch makes a lot more sense.

Yes, the doubled 2x12 that was sistered to the exisiting 2x5 (2x6?) is MORE than strong enough to carry the load the the removed wall was taking. Probably 2 2x10's would have been enough but unless I did my calcs wrong a triple 2x6 wouldn't be enough

You''ll be fine as long as the joist hangers are installed correctly to the face of the 2x5 AND the connection between the existing 2x5 & the new double 2x12 is good enough.

Now the question is .....how are you going to support the ends of the new 2-2x12? AND take that load all the way to the ground?

Sounds like you need to slap a couple doubled up 2x4's (or a 4x4 post) under the ends & then take that load down into the first floor framing, down into the foundation. You can't just stop this modification at the second floor bottom plate.

Is the house construction, slab on grade or a stem wall / perimeter foundation?.....with SOG there are no issues with the floor diaphragm blocking, etc taking the local load but I don't know about the slab.

With a perimeter foundation the concerns are reversed; foundation probably ok but the floor must be looked at to handle the post load

I think you're on the right track but its the details that matter.....you should consider having someone knowledgeable take an "in person" look at this.

cheers Bob

[Jetmech]

Thanks for your help Bob,

I anchored the 2x12's on the back wall top plate and on the middle wall top plate. The house was built in 1965. It's all brick construction on a cinder block foundation. I have a basement thats below grade. The wall I'm removing sits in between two floor joists that run the same direction. I was hoping to get away from posts to achieve a smooth look.