How many 2x4s does it take to support a beam?

Your local building inspections office or a structural engineer can verify the proper beam and post size needed to support the load. You will also need lumber sufficient to create two king posts and four jack posts. To carry a beam 3 1/2 inches wide, this means purchasing a total of six 2x4 studs.

thespruce.com - How to Replace a Load-Bearing Wall With a Support Beam - The Spruce

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Interior walls create privacy, define spaces, and sometimes bear the weight of the level above. These interior walls have defined floor plans for centuries. But starting in the 1950s, when the open floor plan style became popular, many of these walls segmenting the house fell into disfavor. New construction began to showcase the "great room" look in which the kitchen, dining, and living spaces were blended together into open-concept spaces. Today, many owners with older homes find themselves wanting to remove some of those walls to create an open floor plan. Opening up rooms by removing walls is one of the most coveted home improvement projects—one that returns instant value to the homeowner. Larger, unsegmented spaces modernize older homes and nearly always result in greater home resale value. In many ways, this can be a better project than building a full-fledged room addition. With constructed additions, the towering cost is often not realized in resale value, but when you open up a room by doing the work yourself, you often find that resale value far exceeds the total cost of materials. Warning This is a project that should be attempted only by expert-level DIYers. If you don't meet that definition, you should hire a contractor to do this work.

Non-Load-Bearing Walls vs. Load-Bearing Walls

First, you must determine if the wall is load-bearing or not. As long as the wall you intend to remove is not load-bearing, you can take it down with little thought toward structural support of the ceiling above. But for load-bearing walls, you will need to carry the weight of the level above by other means, such as constructing a beam or buying a special laminated beam. It is important to remember, though, that while the beam carries the load of the ceiling above, all that load is then transferred at the ends to vertical post structures, created by a paired construction of king studs and jack studs. Thus, the floor below those jack studs needs to also be strong enough to the task of carrying the entire load of the removed wall. Normally, this is not a problem, since the original load-bearing wall likely was built over an underlying beam or foundation structure below the floor. But in rare instances, it may be necessary to add some form of additional support under the bottoms of the jack studs. At the very least, the jack studs should be positioned directly over floor joists to support the weight. When planning a wall removal, it is always best to consult a builder or structural engineer for advice on the size of beams and the size and location of jack studs or posts. Plan on spending a full week on a project of this complexity. It is likely you'll need at least five eight-hour days of labor when you include the wall and ceiling repair, as well as the final cleanup.

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Codes, Regulations, and Safety Issues

If you live in a condominium, you may need to secure permission from the association board before you begin the work. And no matter where you live, it is nearly guaranteed that you will need a building permit to replace your wall with a support beam. Verify if you need a building permit by calling your local permit office or checking online. Is your support beam sufficiently sized for the opening? Consult span tables or, better yet, hire a structural engineer to determine the proper dimensions of the beam you'll be adding. A beam that is undersized for the load it carries can be a very serious problem. Remember that plumbing or electrical services likely run through the wall. Shut off the electrical circuit breakers controlling any circuits running through the wall, and use a voltage detector to verify that the power has been shut off. Electrical wires running through the wall will need to be addressed. Most likely there will have at least a couple of outlets and a light switch or two that you'll need to relocate. In many cases, it's a matter of moving existing wiring to a different portion of the wall or to a new wall. If you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable with electrical work, hire an electrician. If plumbing pipes run through the wall, shut off the water at the source before beginning work. A professional plumber may be needed to reroute or remove plumbing pipes running through the wall you want to remove. Need more help? Talk to a contractor near you Our partners can help you compare quotes from top-rated professionals near you

Note on Materials

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Replacing a load-bearing wall with a support beam requires surprisingly few materials; this project is more about labor. Especially critical is the beam you use. One way to construct a beam is to sandwich two 2x4 boards around a layer of 1/2-inch plywood. Wood glue is applied to all surfaces and the boards are tightly nailed together. Or, laminated beams are available on special order at your local lumber yard. It is very important, though, that the beam itself as well as the jack-stud posts on which the beam rests are strong enough to hold the load of the ceiling above. Your local building inspections office or a structural engineer can verify the proper beam and post size needed to support the load. You will also need lumber sufficient to create two king posts and four jack posts. To carry a beam 3 1/2 inches wide, this means purchasing a total of six 2x4 studs.

thespruce.com - How to Replace a Load-Bearing Wall With a Support Beam - The Spruce