Removing the First Load Bearing Wall | Home Renovation & Addition Part 22

Jan 24, 2022

🔨Donavan's Tools🧰
👆Donavan's Affiliate Links

Chapters
0:00 - Intro
4:51 - Removing Structure
14:15 - Prepping the Cavity
20:04 - Sliding in the Beam

Thank you to Triton Tools and Horton Brasses for sponsoring my work

Check out Wood Talk, a podcast about woodworking that I co-host:

[tedmcmahon]

I’m in my 30’s and grew up watching This Old House with my dad when it was actually a diy show…this is as good if not better than what that used to be (now it’s barely watchable) and if I didn’t love your wood working content as much as I did I would suggest you do this all the time! Thanks for bringing us along on your remodel journey.

[pinwizz]

This is like watching a YouTube version of This Old House without the commercial content continously interrupting the flow.
Very entertaining as well as learning new techniques I've never been aware of.
Of course that's all due to Donovan's professionalism.

[woogaloo]

I'm going to miss when y'all are actually done with all of the renovation. It's really enjoyable to watch you both interact.

[curly]

I love how you two work together and have some laughs too.

[OntarioFirewoodResource]

Hey man, I just did a video with Jozsef, he built a sawmill based on your design. He said you've been a great help. Right on! Your reno project is more extensive than I thought!

[donwilliams]

The job of removing load bearing walls is unique in every situation. Donavan did it right, keeping the weight supported the whole way across the span. Needing to add the strongback to take out the bow shows just how much weight that wall was carrying.

I can assure you a job like this does not always go so easily. It is fun watching remodeling going right!

[robertpearson]

I really appreciate the LVL manufacturer that also harvests latex from rubber trees. When the trees are too old to produce latex, they harvest them for LVL.

[christinakindler]

Dang! I'm impressed by the way the load bearing wall is coming out. Donavan, you've got so talent. Matt your house is definitely being put together very well. Love these episodes!

[mattpeterson]

The more I watch Donovan work, the better I feel about some of my DIY projects. Yes, he knows WAY more about what he's doing, but so much of home remodeling is answering the question "I have X issue. How do I make what I'd do in a brand new house work here?"

Really loving this series, Matt. I know its off your normal content, but I'm still a fan.

[vincentwesolowski]

Greetings Matt, This is for Donavan. Donavan, I noticed you getting up and down on the Bakers scaffolding by taking just one step up to the scaffolding. Now if you really feel comfortable doing this ok. However, you are no longer a spring chicken and we think nothing on doing certain tasks in our younger years. I was doing the same thing when I was your age and blew out my knee. May I suggest that you make yourself a small wooden step to use when climbing up to the scaffolding deck? This may save you from injuring yourself. Take care, stay healthy and I enjoy watching this renovation. Geez, I wish I had some of theses tools when I was doing all of my renovations to my first home.

[danbrookshire]

Never seen a load bearing wall done that way before. Good idea.

[studiochefson]

A star is born. I love how Donovan feels much more comfortable from a video to the next one!

[rogermontee]

Great work on how you removed the load bearing wall.Donavan is a true professional.Matt you are very talented also. Love this rebuild series.Thanks for sharing☺️☺️☺️👍👍👍

[neilforbes]

Great work Donovan supporting the load from above. I’m sure other contractors would be less careful causing cracking and damage above. Nicely done.

[jpkalishek]

worse load bearing removal I saw was in NOLA, and the crew really made a hash of it. Our crew went in to fix the job. Old house, 1800's balloon construction, 14' ceilings iirc, two stories and small attic, everything actual 2" by 4" rough sawn cypress. They (previous crew) had to have hid it from inspection. I doubt one could bribe even a NOLA inspector enough for that to pass. Over the kitchen was the master bath, with a cast iron lions foot tub, the kitchen wall was removed, making the hall shorter and giving one of those airy open looks architects love, but in an early 1800's house is not easily done. Between plumbing and electrical cutouts in the floor joists scabbed in, the thickest "support" for the formerly load bearing wall was less than 3 inches (sistered on modern 2x4s used, thickest had a divot for wires only, the rest enough there for drywall nails to hold the ceiling up), but at the old wall. I'm surprised the tub itself wasn't enough to crash through, but when the lady of the house started filling the tub for a soak, she ran downstairs to fix a libation, heard a loud crack, looked up at a 2 inch gap in the ceiling, and daringly ran into the room and shut off the water, then pulled the plug and ran. By the time one of our guys got there to shore it until the next workday, it was about to come crashing through. This was in 1986. The shuttle disaster happened while we were doing that repair.

[sallyeblen]

We wish we had the Matt/Donavon team as our neighbors.

[Wordsnwood]

The return of the speed square scraper!

[jgbcodemonkey]

This is such great content! I'm really enjoying the level of detail you're showing. As another commenter mentioned, this is what I wish This Old House was. Keep up the great work!

[joeyboxrox]

Always nerve wrecking when dealing with a load bearing wall. Great job guys!

[rayvoorhies]

Matt took the fancy approach by hiding the beam. It's cheaper to install it lower and box it in. Are you getting a lot of cold air from the sun room? You could temporarily put in bat insulation for the winter. Take it out when the windows are installed. Glad the project is going smoothly. Your contractor is making this look too easy. 😉