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want to get rid of return wall

| Posted in Construction Techniques on October 13, 2002 10:15am

i’d like to eliminate a return wall at the corner of a house. here’s what it looks like. existing wall is a load bearing wall of a basic ranch house. current framing at one corner has a 6’0″ patio door with a 24″ return wall to the corner of the structure. i’d like to expand the opening with a new header to 9′, but would like to run the header all the way to the corner of the building (no return wall).

what’s the best way (is there an acceptable way) to frame this? i’ve heard answers both ways. i’m in alaska, where we have obvious seismic concerns.

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  1. bd342 | Oct 13, 2002 11:50pm | #1

    the first consideration would be the size of header since your house is a ranch you only have to consider the weight of the trusses or rafters above plus the possible snow load . I build in the Chicago area where we do get some appreciable snow loads and would go to a 11" lvl beam(2 -1 3/4" lvl's).I don't know if your exyerior walls are 2x4 or 2x6.If 2x4 then the side where your eliminating your return wall you should use 2-2x4's with 1/2" plywood sandwiched between to make your cripple thickness 3 1/2"(you need a minimum of 3"). if 2x6 then 2 2x6's with a king stud .you'll have to pad that another 1" to make the total thickness 5 1/2". second consideration would be when you take out the return wall you're probably removing your corner bracing.  Check the other side of your opening and make sure you have atleast 48" of plywood that is well nailed for sheathing. One more thing to look at would be to make sure that your top plates have at least one of them extending from the now flush corner to the far side of your 48"'s of plywood corner bracing and that there are enough nails there to transfer the shear from your plywood all the way across your opening.

    One more thing, if you have a basement or crawlspace make sure you have squash blocks under your cripples.

    '

  2. Piffin | Oct 14, 2002 12:55am | #2

    I'd look at this with different priorities than benny.

    It's relatively easy to size and install the right header here. The first concern I would have is removing the corner bracing. Benny and I both have wind loads to deal with but your seismic situation calls for someone with experience in that. The whole wall this door sits in may be considered a seismic wall. Change any part of it and you effect the whole of it. Extending an openning to a corner is normally a no-no anyways without involving an engineer because, as he haas pointed out, removing the corner brace can create a racking effect. Diagonal bracing in the center of a wall is somewhat less effective.

    .

    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. bd342 | Oct 14, 2002 01:35am | #3

      good point! I'm most definitely not an engineer.

      I frame in the Chicago area where the New Madrid fault has been very quiet for a very long time.We don't usually encounter seismic concerns.

      That being said, I wasn't as concerned because it is a single story structure, and the way I understand it the dangers become magnified the higher up you go.

      That's why I suggest the plywood shear panel. My thinking being that the double top plate nailed properly would do the job, of  transfering the shear strength of the plywood to the corner.

       I also agree that ideally you should leave the return there. Still in my possibly flawed opinion he should be O.K.

      Edited 10/13/2002 6:41:48 PM ET by benny

      1. Piffin | Oct 14, 2002 02:02am | #4

        Just between you and me and the fence post, I think the plywood sheathing, glued and nailed would do it. But there is also the matter of tie downs in a shear wall as well as the corner racking, which is all beyond the scope of what we are capable of recommending here. .

        Excellence is its own reward!

        1. PATRICI10923 | Oct 14, 2002 08:53am | #5

          thanks for the input. i think this would work, particularly with some tie downs to the foundation footing. you're right....an engineer's opinion would be nice. wish i had one living next door.

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