Installing French Doors In Load Bearing Wall

If the wall is load bearing consult a structural.

Installing french doors in load bearing wall.

2 the combined weight of the floors walls and roofs above. 1 the length of the window or door opening. To install a pocket door you must modify the framing of the wall which is safe to do if the wall isn t bearing any load. 5 whether it s a bearing wall where joists trusses and rafters rest or a non bearing wall to which joists trusses and rafters run parallel.

4 the snow load in the area. To install a door in a concrete block wall you ll need to first create an opening for the door. I wouldn t expect to pay less than 1000 plus whatever the doors cost. If it really is a load bearing wall a temporary support wall needs to be built first.

The reason why this project is so difficult is due to the potential danger a load bearing wall supports the structure so its absence through accidental destruction could lead to the room or entire house collapsing. Please note that we a. Then the doors installed the wall fixed probably including new drywall new paint then trim. I have a 70 s built bi level with slab basement.

On the exterior back wall of the lower level family room i have a small window and a standard size door a few feet down from the window. These blocks are durable and easy to install but can be difficult to modify or remove. You have to take into account. This will support the load while the wall is redone and headered off to put in the french doors.

I want to eliminate both the window and door and replace with a large french doors or french patio style doors. The task of installing the door itself is relatively simple while creating an opening in the wall is often a bit more challenging. Before you start cutting studs make sure that the wall in which the new french doors are being hung or any of the studs that you are removing are not load bearing. Inserting a door or window in a load bearing wall can be a tricky situation but not an impossible one.

On a simple passage door in a non loadbearing wall a header made from a pair of 2 x 4s installed on edge is usually sufficient while a typical double patio door in a non load bearing wall might require a 4 x 6 header or a 4 x 8 header. 3 the building width.