Header span

[mberenato01]

Ok, im renovating a 65+ year old cape cod house.The 1st floor that supports the 1/2 second floor that sits under the strong back on the upper floor. Its actually not in the room per say just under the strong back and will be the bearing wall not really supporting much. I roofed the house barely without jacks so like a 6-8 pitch. The opening is going to be 17' as im making a master bedroom and knocking walls down.... my thoughts were (3)2x10's and not against (3)2x12's with some lag bolts about every 2-3' to bolt them together for strength. Any thoughts?

Mike

[suemarkp]

We need more information, and I don't know what a "strong back" is. It sounds like you want to put a header across a 17' span. So what is this header holding up? Are a bunch of floor joists sitting on this header, or is it parallel to the joists? What is above the joists -- just a roof, a roof and a bedroom, or what? What is the distance to either the opposite wall or the next floor support member? In this area, what portion is just roof/attic, bedroom, main room, etc? What is your snow load (or what city are you in)?

A dimensioned diagram would help.

[mberenato01]

thanks for the reply. It is a cape cod style house and the roof goes through most of the 2nd floor. In any house thats built without trusses the rafters will be supported in the attic or room by a 2x4 wall ususlly 2' to 4' in length. Thats what i have always called the strong back... maybe not the right terminology. Anyway on the 1st floor there are two room that im opening up into one. The header will span ceiling joists.... thats about 12 if my calculations are right. So in the room above its not living space room between the roof and floor. I would say the load would be a 1/4 of what the beams in the basement would carry if that. I dont know if that helps.... hard to explain i guess. Anyway what are the recommendations either way something that carries a heavy load or lighter.
Mike

[Wgoodrich]

The stiff legs in the attic you speak of supported by a bearing wall. Is that bearing wall going to be supported by the header below that bearing wall. To size a header we need building width as well as opening length and what is being carried above. Building width would be outside wall to outside wall perpendicular to the header you wish to install.

Wg