Garage Door - Going from 2 to 1

[Torinoman]

My garage has two small doors but I'd like to switch it to one large door. I know this can be done. Does anyone here have experience with this or know of a contractor in the area (Richardson) that can do something like this? Any ideas how much it might cost?

[black2002ls]

My garage has two small doors but I'd like to switch it to one large door. I know this can be done. Does anyone here have experience with this or know of a contractor in the area (Richardson) that can do something like this? Any ideas how much it might cost?

It can be a pretty extensive and costly project to get done correctly. It needs to be done with two pieces of continuous lumber for the header. In most, if not all, instances it should be structural lumber. Ours are done with 14" ganglam lvl's with a minimum of 4 studs on both ends to support the weight.

[Torinoman]

How much did it cost you?

[8mpg]

Good luck...Like he said, you will probably have to switch over to a LVL beam. One story house will be cheaper but if you have a 2nd story above it, you should get an engineer involved. You may want to open up the drywall and see if they used a single beam or if the middle post between the garage doors is a place holder or truly the support stud

[talisman]

yellowstang got it done to his old house and it wasn't a big deal.

[Baron Von Crowder]

yellowstang got it done to his old house and it wasn't a big deal.

I think that is dependent on how the house was built. Id love to do it on mine, and I think I will investigate further later on it. Mine doesnt look like the center is load bearing on mine, pull i'll need to pull some sheet rock to see what I can find.

[Torinoman]

I should mention its a detached garage, there is nothing above it either. Just a freestanding garage behind my house.

It doesn't seem like it should be a huge deal but I just don't know how to start this project or who would do this kind of work.

[Josh.0]

I had two estimates for this on my house $1000-1500 bucks was the ballpark number I was given

[lowthreeohz]

^ thats reassuring because I'm waiting for a bid to remove ~8' of load bearing wall between my kitchen and living.

OP being freestanding and nothing above I bet it will be fairly simple.

[black2002ls]

How much did it cost you?

I build new construction, sorry. Just giving some insight on how we build for 16' doors

[juiceweezl]

^ thats reassuring because I'm waiting for a bid to remove ~8' of load bearing wall between my kitchen and living.

OP being freestanding and nothing above I bet it will be fairly simple.

It will depend on which way the framing above it runs. Garage headers carry the load from the framing above across the opening and down to the posts that support the beam ends. Is the ceiling above open framed? What are the garage dimensions (length, width, wall height, mean roof height) and type of roof framing? Post that and I can probably give you an idea of typical loads.

[8mpg]

^ thats reassuring because I'm waiting for a bid to remove ~8' of load bearing wall between my kitchen and living.

OP being freestanding and nothing above I bet it will be fairly simple.

totally different animal. Is it a one story or two? Are you willing to have a header drop down or do you want it flush with the ceiling? What pitch is your roof and what roofing material? Which way to the trusses run? Is this the center of the house or off to a side?

If they dont get an engineer or architect involved...Id pass. There are rules of thumb line "inch per foot" but read up on your local building codes. The inch per foot rule is only for single story with a lower pitched shingle or metal roof (something like that). My cousin is an architect and he said the inch per foot rule applied to my house (single story) though it wouldnt hurt to go bigger. We opened up 12' of load bearing down the center of the house with (2) 2x12s and a double existing top plate. He said if I wanted it flush with the ceiling, I needed to find an engineer.

Also, there is a program called 'Forte' that is an engineering software you can download online (from one of the LVL manufacturers) that will calculate the load.

To the OP... check out Southern Pine's header tables if you open your drywall up to see if the center column is load bearing:

http://www.southernpine.com/media/SS_1-6L.pdf

I think DFW building code wants 20psf snow load (dont quote me on that)

[lowthreeohz]

totally different animal. Is it a one story or two? Are you willing to have a header drop down or do you want it flush with the ceiling? What pitch is your roof and what roofing material? Which way to the trusses run? Is this the center of the house or off to a side?

If they dont get an engineer or architect involved...Id pass. There are rules of thumb line "inch per foot" but read up on your local building codes. The inch per foot rule is only for single story with a lower pitched shingle or metal roof (something like that). My cousin is an architect and he said the inch per foot rule applied to my house (single story) though it wouldnt hurt to go bigger. We opened up 12' of load bearing down the center of the house with (2) 2x12s and a double existing top plate. He said if I wanted it flush with the ceiling, I needed to find an engineer.

Also, there is a program called 'Forte' that is an engineering software you can download online (from one of the LVL manufacturers) that will calculate the load.

To the OP... check out Southern Pine's header tables if you open your drywall up to see if the center column is load bearing:

http://www.southernpine.com/media/SS_1-6L.pdf

I think DFW building code wants 20psf snow load (dont quote me on that)

You're right, I was thinking very simplisticly.

Our place is 2 story, wall coming out is near the middle. The existing framework is exposed ie not hidden in ceiling so I'm fine with the lvl one sharing the same form. Actually waiting for the engineer to come out next week and do the math, just hoping it's within my budget.

[8mpg]

You're right, I was thinking very simplisticly.

Our place is 2 story, wall coming out is near the middle. The existing framework is exposed ie not hidden in ceiling so I'm fine with the lvl one sharing the same form. Actually waiting for the engineer to come out next week and do the math, just hoping it's within my budget.

If you arent trying to recess it into the ceiling, the work isnt bad at all. All you do is put up some 2x4s on either side of the wall to help support the wall while you take out the load bearing wall. Then put up your header with Im assuming double jack studs on each end to support it, nail it up and re-drywall. If you have the engineered beam, honestly this is something you could easily do yourself with a couple buddies to lift the beam. Then pay someone to drywall/mud