The Big-Beam Job - Part 1

Now that the old wall stud is gone, how to install a 7-foot 3.5"x 12" laminated beam (LVL) by myself? This thing weighs a tone and I found on the web a cool way to hold the beam "in the air" allowing me to make adjustments, shimming and nailing with just a pair of hands. See the couple of temporary 2x4 temporary beam cradle assembly: The shorter 2x4 creates a resting ledge, leaving room for the beam height plus 1/4". The extra 1/4" is for driving shims underneath the beam which pushes it tight against the top plate above.

Temporary Wall

First compromise: Initially, I wanted to remove the whole 15 feet of this wall and decided to just remove 7 feet and leave undistrubed the HVAC ducts. Relocating them would require revamping the duct work from the basement up to the second floor bedrooms and we are not ready to remodel to that extent.

To remove a load-bearing wall, I need to build a temporary wall before removing the studs. How? Install a bottom plate, a dual top plate, then wedge temporary studs nailed every 16" OC. Pretty easy, right? Yes, except that battling over my head with two 2x4x8' top plate in one hand while trying to use the 2,000lb framing nailer with the other isn't quite that simple. ...Need to grow a couple extra hands!

Temporary Wall

Dual 2x4 top plate

The hole in the wall

First order of business: Open up the kitchen to the dining room. How? Surgical removal of 1/2 inch Sheetrock covered with an additional 1/2 inch plaster. Ceiling corners are "tapped" with a steel mesh that obviously increases the pleasure of removing the drywall.

Then, the discovery of a load-bearing wall (usually the case when floor joists from 2 separate rooms overlap over a single wall header) and more than expected HVAC ducts. This will require some thinking and some internet browsing...

Before

Overlapped joist over load-bearing wall

Our 1955 Kitchen has to go!

Our family has been living in our new home for the past two and a half years and it came with an authentic 1955 kitchen! Not totally unlivable by any means -- but far from great -- our kitchen features tan linoleum flooring, blue counter-top tiles with mildewed grout joints, fluorescent light and custom cabinets for which it is hard to believe that anyone would have ever cared for.

Great food made with healthy and tasty ingredients has always been important to us and prepping them in that environment is taking half of the pleasure of cooking away. While our money hasn't yet, our patience with this gorgeous kitchen has ran out. The 1955 cuisine (kitchen in French) has to go!

So, the purpose of this blog is to tell and show our progress and enthusiasm (or lack thereof), and our setbacks and frustrations for all to see! Enjoy.