Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 10/28/2009

Question
Hi Bruce,
  I sure hope you can help! My husband and I are renovating his mother's old house. They added an all brick addition in the late 60s (16'W X 19.5'L) + a back porch with brick foundation(8'D X 19.5'L)that has since been closed in using standard framing materials-no brick. Together they make a 24'W X 19.5'L space. The walls in the brick portions of the house are all loadbearing and are raw exposed brick & mortar-no sheetrock. Between the living room and the now enclosed back porch is an exposed brick load bearing wall that extends the full 19.5' between the 2 rooms with a 6.5' opening where the french doors leading to the back porch used to be (opening is located 50" from the adjoining left wall). This is the opening we want to expand by 24" - 46" taking an equal amount of space from both sides or just from the 50" side). Is there a minimum amount of space we will need on the 50" side (is 4" X 4" column enough or would we require more) to carry the load?, Would that column need to be the existing brick or could it be a column that we could make look like a decorative architectural column?, What steps do we need to take to do this? How difficult is a job like this? And how much would a job like this run? Is it more cost effective to take an equal amount of space from both sides of the opening or just from the one side? I can't think of any other questions right now, but you may have some further insight into some challenges we may encounter that I haven't thought of. Please feel free to share your experience. Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can give.

-Laura

Answer
Hi Laura, the column support isn't the main problem here that needs to be overcome.  Over this old door opening is a header that holds up the weight of the span over the opening.  Depending on how this header is constructed will determine what you need to do to widen the opening.  If it is a masonry header or reinforced brick header then you will need to remove the old header and replace it with a new, wider header to support the load that the wall is carrying.  If the header is part of a continuous reinforced concrete tie beam then the opening can possibly be widened without any additional structural support or use a different method of creating support.  A 4x4 column could be sufficient for support depending on what it is made of.  A steel column would be preferred for this size.  It could then be surrounded with whatever material you like to match the decor.  I recommend that you consult a professional engineer (P.E.) before attempting the removal and replacement of structural elements of load bearing walls. I hope this information helps, please feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com