Replacement of load-bearing wall, reasonable?

[samovar]

Hello,

We are in the process of a kitchen renovation and, like many others discussing removing load-bearing walls, we want to open up between the kitchen and dining area.

Currently, we have a glulam beam supporting a 4m opening with a column in the middle. We're considering whether to open an additional 180 cm and replace the glulam beam with a 6m steel beam or alternatively use two 3-meter steel beams if it's better to keep the post in the middle. Where the support post is today, the foundation is reinforced with a footing.

I've read through several threads about this here, but I don't quite understand why sometimes it's advised against, and sometimes it works well. So, I just want to know if it's a bad idea in our case or if we should proceed and bring in a structural engineer to calculate it?

Some background information:
1.5-story house with a finished attic. 13x9 m

Thanks for any input we can get.

 

[BirgitS]

The longer the opening is, the stronger/higher the beam needed. Currently, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the forum who can provide expert advice on dimensions.

 

[samovar]

The longer the opening, the stronger/higher the beam needed.
Currently, there doesn't seem to be anyone in the forum who can provide expert advice on dimensions.

Thank you for the response. We don't necessarily need dimensions, but mostly a reality check—if it's something reasonably feasible without becoming too expensive or if we should consider alternative solutions. If it's realistic, we'll proceed and bring in a structural engineer...

 

[Mseli]

Hello! I'm not a structural engineer but rather a retired mechanical one. It's quite likely to find a beam dimension that can support the opening, especially if you can keep the post. Spanning 6 meters without a post requires a substantial piece, and there will be quite large forces under the posts at the ends of the beam as well. There are design programs online that one can play with to get an idea of where you would end up if using glulam, they don't replace a designer but can give you some ideas. Calculating a beam should be an easy case for a trained professional. Good luck

 

[samovar]

Hello! I'm not a structural engineer but rather a retired mechanical one. It's highly likely to find a beam dimension that can support the opening, especially if you can keep the post. Spanning 6 meters without a post requires a substantial piece and there will be quite large forces under the posts at the ends of the beam as well. There are design programs online you can play with to get an idea of where you'll end up if you were to use glulam, they don't replace a designer but you can get some ideas. Calculating a beam should be an easy case for a trained professional. Good luck

Thanks for the response. That was my thought too, that it would be a bit too much with 6 m without a middle post, so we can absolutely consider keeping it. Tried calculating with wooden beams in a program but the opening was only 5m max.