We have inherited a Scania-style house where a load-bearing wall was removed, with the idea of creating an open-plan room, but this room was never completed. The house was built in 1850, and in the picture, you can see the beams running between the long walls of the house. The span of these beams is 735 cm, disregarding the temporary support where the load-bearing wall used to be. The dimensions are approximately 150x100 and are placed about 120 cm apart. To the left and right in the picture are masonry walls which similar beams rest on. Above the ceiling is an uninsulated attic and a finished room, and the plan is to insulate and finish the entire upper floor.
How do we best address the removed load-bearing wall?
One solution is to essentially do what the temporary solution with pillars does but make it more aesthetically pleasing. The downside is that we would have a pillar in the middle of the room that reduces the usable area.
Another alternative suggested by a relative was to move the supporting beam up to the attic and thus raise these beams. Would that work, or would the beam become enormous and possibly transfer weight to something not designed for that load?
How do we best address the removed load-bearing wall?
One solution is to essentially do what the temporary solution with pillars does but make it more aesthetically pleasing. The downside is that we would have a pillar in the middle of the room that reduces the usable area.
Another alternative suggested by a relative was to move the supporting beam up to the attic and thus raise these beams. Would that work, or would the beam become enormous and possibly transfer weight to something not designed for that load?
It might be possible to place a steel beam in the attic resting on posts at the exterior walls, then they become through rods with large washers and nuts on the underside of existing roof beams, placing a beam on the exterior walls might not be so good. Could it be possible to get a beam up into the attic, maybe make a hole in the roof and push it in. You need to investigate if it is possible with posts going through the ceiling, depending on how much space there is above. I believe the ceiling is directly on there, so 5 cm clearance might do it, plus a beam thickness of heavier dimensions.