Advice on a room remodel

[JSUPreston]

Guys, I may have gotten in just a little over my head with this one. I'm redoing my 8 y/o son's room. The 50+ year old sheetrock was literally falling apart on the walls. So SWMBO and I decided to completely redo the room. All new rock, insulate the exterior walls, new doors and jambs, new electrical outlets. Basically, the works. Only thing we're leaving alone is the ceiling and original hardwood floor.

Anyway, the house was originally out in the country (city grew around us), so it wasn't built to code. When ripping out the old rock, on a wall I believe to be load bearing, there are no real headers over the closet doors, much less sistered studs, etc. Just a single 2x4 over the top of the frame, butt jointed to the studs. Given that the original framing hasn't bowed at all, I'm inclined to leave well enough alone and just put new rock over it. However, I'd like to see what you guys think. Should I cut this out and put in 2x6 (or 8) headers with new studs? If I do, I risk destroying the rock on the other side of that wall (not redoing the closet...yet).

So far, I've gotten 3 walls ripped out completely, just working an hour a night while the kids are up after work. I'm going to completely redo the furring strips on the exterior block walls. Gives me an opportunity to buy a framing nailer and a few other items I've been wanting.

[pelligrini]

If it wasn't built with headers, and there are no signs of structural distress, it would probably be safe to assume that it isn't a load bearing wall. I'd still check to see which way the ceiling joists are running and where they are bearing. If they're running parallel to the wall, I wouldn't even bother changing anything.

[Shep]

Doesn't sound like it's load bearing, but pictures would help.

[JSUPreston]

The wall I mentioned is perpendicular to the joists. It may be that since this is a closet wall, that the back wall of the closet is actually load bearing. I can't get in the attic to that area now, since we had new HVAC installed last year. They had to put it in the attic over that wall. Plus, the new blown in insulation is so think, I can't find a joist to stand on.

When I put French doors in the living room sometime next year, I will have to tackle this. The 6' opening in that wall has bowed at least 2" since the house was built. Still thinking about how I want to handle that one.

[chopnhack]

This may seem a stupid question, so forgive me but, are you sure their joists and not possibly trusses? Trusses would span and not require to bear on interior sections. Just a thought.

[JSUPreston]

Chop, actually that is a very good question. Given that my wife's grandfather built the house and was drinking while building (or building while drinking-can never get the story right), there really is no telling exactly how it's framed up above. It's tight up there, and with all the additional insulation that was blown in last year, I can barely see anything up there, so getting pics may be hard.

I haven't measured it, but the span from front to back is probably around 40', give or take a 5th.

[pelligrini]

Trusses weren't all that common 50 years ago. Just because something is trussed doesn't mean there wasn't mid span bearing points engineered into them either. I've had some truss companies redo their designs on some buildings as they were using some interior bearing points. We wanted to be able to change the interior partitions in the future if needed.

JSU- the back wall of the closet is probably the bearing wall. I'm still on the fence about needing to do any reinforcing. Was the sheetrock above the closet doors failing; cracking, crushing etc.?

[JSUPreston]

Erik, the sheetrock was a little weak, but no more than anywhere else in the room. I'll admit that I'm glad to be rid of the old rock. That room has had mold issues in the past, and I saw some of it on the backside of the rock coming off an exterior wall. Will be putting up some vapor barrier on the external walls before insulation sheets and rock goes back up.

[pelligrini]

That closet wall is probably ok not to reinforce.

You might look at having some of the closed cell urethane insulation sprayed in on your exterior walls in there. You can get a much better insulation value, and the closed cell acts as a vapor barrier too. I don't think it's really a DYI installation, and it's more expensive than fiberglass batts. It performs a lot better than batt insulation though.

[chopnhack]

Just because something is trussed doesn't mean there wasn't mid span bearing points engineered into them either.

Its true but it would help to clarify the situation further. Are the "joists" 2x4, 2x6 or other?

[JSUPreston]

Its true but it would help to clarify the situation further. Are the "joists" 2x4, 2x6 or other?

I would say 2x6 or 2x8. Then again, other would probably qualify. I have actually found wood in this house where my wife's grandfather shaped it with an axe before using it (trim in a door frame for example).

[chopnhack]

I would say 2x6 or 2x8. Then again, other would probably qualify. I have actually found wood in this house where my wife's grandfather shaped it with an axe before using it (trim in a door frame for example).

I hate to say it..... you might want to consult with an engineer. They may charge ~3-4 hundred for a site visit, but with no clue whats above your head, it may be worthwhile depending on what area you live in, if your subject to heavy snow loads or high winds, etc.

Of course the structure has been there so long so you can view that from two points: Its stable and should remain so because of past history of being such OR its an aging structure that was stable but is an unknown quantity at this point.

Food for thought and worth what you paid for it