Hi Everyone,

I live in a four unit town home built in the 50's. Two of the other units that I've seen have an doorway pass through (no door, just open) between the kitchen and living room. I am nearly certain that we also have this opening framed in in our unit, but it has been drywalled and plastered over. I can see the outline of the framing when I look at our wall. This is a load bearing wall.

I'd like to open this up, but I'm not prepared to create temporary braces, etc. I just want to knock out the opening and finish it with moulding.

Any tips or thoughts would be appreciated. What if I run into a footer? Can I cut that if the top of the doorway is framed out?

Really, I'm just starting to research this. Any tips, advice or info would be SO appreciated.

Mary

 

Is it a sheetrock wall?
How wide an opening are you talking about?
I believe you mean a bottom plate not a footer.
There's going to be a bottom plate that will need to be removed but then you have to figure out something to fill in that space.

 

You might be able to do some exploring with a studfinder or a finish nail and hammer to insure you actually have the jack and king studs on the sides and the header over the top.

I guess it might be easier to just see if there is a stud in the center of the opening somewhere. Unless it is very narrow, studs will be spaced about 16" on center. I think the 50's used that standard. Just because you find one doesn't mean it isn't framed for a pass through...but not finding one is a good indication it is.

You'll need to do some sheetrock or plaster on the inside of the frame unless you just planned to use wood.

 

Looke for a header across the top using a stud finder or 6d finish nail. Start at 78" from the floor.

 

i am new to this, and i will gladly offer help where i can, but, right now, i cannot figure out how to post a new question -- all i can do is reply to others.

Help!!!

david

 

Hi David, just click on the Topic you want to ask your question in, then you'll see a yellow box that says "Post New Thread", at both the top and bottom left hand side.


ETA: click on "Forums" on the top black bar, to see the list of Topics.

 

Thanks for the replies! A couple of months ago, I cut a small hole in the wall. I believe that the surface is "plaster over drywall".

Reaching up inside the wall, I can actually feel the header at the top, and the supports on the sides.

The weird thing is that at one point, someone must have framed out a little "window" opening between the living room and kitchen in this space. There's a vertical stud going down from the center of the header, to the top of this framed out window, and I can only assume that there's a corresponding vertical stud on the bottom of the window framing to the bottom plate.

Looking at the somewhat bad patch job that was done in this area, you can clearly see this window framing when looking at the wall.

Can I cut away the window framing and the additional vertical stud, and the bottom plate without worrying, as long as the header and side supports are in place? None of this "extra stuff" is necessary to the load bearing wall, correct?

Mary

 

Yes, as long as the header and the jack studs on each side that support it are left in place anything in between these can be removed.

 

Yeah you are dead set on opening that wall then just just the drywall and take a look! My guess is that if they closed an already preexisting pass-through then there should not be anything behind the drywall except for a few studs that I doubt hold any purpose other than to give the drywall a place to secure to. Keep us posted on how it goes

 

Nicktools has the answer. Demo the drywall or whatever's on the face of the wall and have a look at the framing, out in the open. Post a picture if you like, and we can all look.

You can always recover it, and it sounds like you could do a better job of it.

 

Do not demo like that stupid Home Depot (or is it Lowes) commercial and uncounted TV and movie comedies just swinging away willy-nilly with a large sledge hammer. Using a Sheetrock saw cut the opening before you use a claw hammer or 3# machinist hammer to carefully breakout the Sheetrock in the cut out area.

 

Why not, Ray? It only takes them 30 seconds to demo an entire house I agree with surgically removing the sheetrock and looking at the entire wall's composition. Sheetrock saw or rotozip will make light work of it.

 

LOL but they don't show the water flooding the house from the busted water pipes or sparks from the ripped Romex or the cost fro the damage repair. LOL.