Ceiling support when putting in a header

[Wardsweb]

You may already know about this, but it's new to me, so I thought I would pass it along. I needed to support the ceiling while I took out a 11' section of wall. My friend runs a fleet of tractor/trailers and they use "load jacks" to hold things in place in the trailers. I used some to hold the ceiling while I cut out the wall and installed the new double 2x12 header. They lock in place, making the job a lot easier.

 

[dowop]

That's a cool idea. 99% of the time building the temporary wall(s) takes longer then putting the header in.

I would re-think the 2x12's and use a powerbeam or gluelam. They are so easy to work with.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[GregO]

lam header

I would definitely scrap the idea of using 2x12s and go with doubled laminated beams, especially for an 11 foot opening.

 

[Wardsweb]

Here is the final products.

 

[hj]

wall

A 2x10 on the floor, another one at the ceiling, and then a few 2x4 or 2x6 cut the right length wedged between them does not take more than a few minutes.

 

[Verdeboy]

Open Spaces

It looks great!

The only problem with knocking out walls, is that sound from one room carries into the other. Then you hear people shouting, "Turn down the bleepin' television, I'm trying to read", and so forth.

 

[Prashster]

Nice work. Thanks for the tip. Wish I had friends like yours. Bet it'd cost me more to rent those jacks than it would be to hire someone to do the whole job

Nice transition on the floor; doesn't look like the wall was ever there.

Please tell me that yr gonna repaint that pink room, though

 

[Wardsweb]

Nice work. Thanks for the tip. Wish I had friends like yours. Bet it'd cost me more to rent those jacks than it would be to hire someone to do the whole job

Nice transition on the floor; doesn't look like the wall was ever there.

Please tell me that yr gonna repaint that pink room, though

The blue you see along the tile's edge is painters tape. I still need to run little transition strip there.

Sorry but the room stays pink, as thats what the wife wants and I've been married long enough to know keeping her happy makes my life easier.

 

[Prashster]

Sorry but the room stays pink, as thats what the wife wants and I've been married long enough to know keeping her happy makes my life easier.

Here, here.

 

[Alectrician]

I see some wiring hanging there.

PLEASE tell me that you didn't bury any junction boxes.

 

[Wardsweb]

I see some wiring hanging there.

PLEASE tell me that you didn't bury any junction boxes.

No nothing buried. The wires are actually coming from the left, so when I pulled them up into the attic it was a simple task to move them to the left short wall. Then it was just a matter of running them down the wall and cutting them, as they were then to long.

 

[KD]

I don't want to rain on your parade, but is this a bearing wall? If non bearing, then no problem: the 2x12s need to hold up their own weight and the drywall only. If it is a bearing wall, it depends on the load. You might need a 4x12 #2 or a glu lam only an engineer can determine that. Also the end supports may need concrete under them. ...Look in the attic. If you have trusses it is probably non-bearing. If you have ceiling rafters and they splice above your wall--it is a bearing wall.

 

[DX]

Yes, I had the same thought. If it's not bearing, double 2x12 is unnecessary to support just the drywall. If it's bearing, double 2x12's are unlikely to be sufficient for an 11' opening.

I can only hope he's had an engineer look at it.

dx

 

[Cookie]

Looks like the same thing someone I know did. His was a bearing wall.

He had to put a jack in the basement for support and add a post pretty much off center in the doorway.

I like the pink.