Residence Addition & Load-Bearing Wall Removal

Structural System

Wood-framed addition tied to the existing house, with a flush steel beam replacing the removed bearing wall between kitchen and living areas.

Existing Conditions

1970s wood-framed house with an over-spanned ceiling joist condition discovered above the wall slated for removal.

Scope of Work

• Evaluation of existing framing and foundations at the addition tie-in
• Design of the addition structure and its foundations
• Flush beam, post, and footing design for the bearing-wall removal
• Framing observation at the beam installation

Design Challenges

• Concealing the new beam within the ceiling depth for an uninterrupted ceiling plane
• Transferring the new point loads through the floor system to new footings
• Correcting the pre-existing over-span without expanding the project footprint

Engineering Approach

• Flush steel beam with joist hangers sized to the verified joist depth
• Point loads traced to new pad footings with blocking details through the crawl space
• Sistered joists specified to resolve the existing over-span within the same work area

Construction Considerations

• Temporary shoring plan reviewed with the remodeler before demolition
• Beam ordered from field-verified dimensions to avoid installation surprises

Outcome

Sample outcome summary: the wall was removed with the ceiling plane kept flush, and the pre-existing deficiency was corrected in the same permit. Replace with a verified project narrative.

Project Images