This week: Removing a load-bearing wall for more openess

 My friend Tim T. and I are tearing out a wall dividing the family room from the kitchen and dining rooms.

There goes the drywall and insulation.  As closed off as it was, this is already looking like an improvement!

 Here, we built two temporary walls to support the ceiling joists on either side of the existing wall before we removed it.  The funny thing about the job was when we were asked by another builder to remove the wall, we were told that the wall was non load-bearing, meaning the wall was not holding up any part of the ceiling or roof.  He wanted us to do the job for the price that he agreed to do it for.  When I first laid eyes on the wall, I would've told you it was a major part of the ceiling and roofs support system without even climbing in the attic.  Upon further inspection, I saw it was in fact holding half of the houses roof up and the dining room and family room's ceilings.  Oh well.  It's just scary to think about what might have happened if he were to have removed the wall without building the two temporaries for the ceilings and climbing in the attic to support the two purlins holding up the roof.  Yikes...

 We placed a reclaimed redwood 6x12 beam on the ceiling. 

 The first 12x12 post.

 The second and third 12x12 posts and a 6x18 bar counter were next.  The two posts have notches in them to hold the bar counter in place.

 Next was the fourth post which holds the weight of the counter in the middle and a new step on the floor (also made from reclaimed lumber.)

 We wrapped the floor and rim with reclaimed oak to finish the project off.

 I am dead tired after a very long day and pleased with the results of the new look.

Wow!  It really looks different!  What do you think?