How to Install a Load-Bearing Beam

The best way to make small or cramped rooms larger is to remove a wall between adjoining rooms. When you replace a load-bearing wall with a load-bearing beam, you create a larger, more useful floor area and give your home a feeling of spaciousness.

In this story, we’ll show you how to remove nearly any wall and tell you how to add a structural beam if it’s needed. It may be scary to think about tearing walls out of your house, but don’t be intimidated. You can do it if you’ve done any basic carpentry work like framing in a wall or building a shed or deck. In fact, removing the wall and replacing it with a beam will only take a half-day or less.

Remove the Drywall

• Shut off the circuit at the main panel.
• Remove the baseboards on both sides of the wall and any electrical cover plates.
• Slice through the tape at inside corners at the ceiling, and at any adjoining walls.
  • Note: If there aren’t corners nearby, make a vertical slit just beyond the wall.
• Tear off the drywall from both sides of the wall.
  • Pro tip: Take off one side first by driving a hammer claw through the drywall and simply pulling a chunk free. The first side will come off in small pieces. Loosen the drywall from the other side by rapping on the backside near the studs to free it from the screws. That way you can take off large pieces and minimize the cleanup.

 

 

 

Is It a Load-Bearing Wall?

To tell if a wall is load-bearing, first check the joist direction with a stud finder. A load-bearing wall almost always has ceiling or floor framing running perpendicular to it. If you’re unsure, ask a building contractor or your local building inspector for advice. If it’s a load-bearing wall, the inspector may help size the beam or recommend that you have a structural engineer or architect size it. The inspector will check the size, issue a permit and check your work when you’re finished framing (before you start any drywall or finish work). Sometimes a full-service lumberyard will size the beam and sell it to you. In rare cases, you may be required to enlarge existing footings beneath the support columns as well to handle the additional load. That can get costly!

Know what’s in the wall. In most cases, electrical boxes and switches can be moved or rerouted relatively easily. But plumbing pipes and heat ducts inside the wall are cause for concern. If that’s the case, contact a plumber and/or heating contractor to find out exactly what’s involved in eliminating or moving pipes or ductwork before you start tearing out drywall. Apply for an electrical permit if you have to move electrical boxes or cables.

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