House structure question...Removing a 2x6

[ps2cho]

This is not "garage" related, but general house framing/structure question.

I'm installing a dog door, and I only have one location to place it. When removing the drywall there are about 5-6 2x6's in a row. In the photo they continue all the way to the corner.

I need to cut out some of the 2x6's to make the hole fit. Basically the drywall removed is the hole I need.

Do I have any structural integrity issues or am I good since there will still be multiple 2x6's even if I remove two of them?

What do you guys think?

 

[Zeke]

They are ganged there to hold a beam I suspect. I'd go ahead and remove the drywall to the corner bead and see about installing a 4 x 4 steel post. You shouldn't have to modify anything, just bolt it up and down. Put a 2 x 6 back on the near side to have something to attach your door frame to.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I would say it is structural, They don't just put more than one 2x6 there unless there is a reason. Now in the exact corner they will put more than one.

 

[cdestuck]

I would have no
Problem taking the sawzall to it. If there's that many 2x6s there id feel ok about. The standing strength of wood on end is great.

 

[ps2cho]

They are ganged there to hold a beam I suspect. I'd go ahead and remove the drywall to the corner bead and see about installing a 4 x 4 steel post. You shouldn't have to modify anything, just bolt it up and down. Put a 2 x 6 back on the near side to have something to attach your door frame to.

Can you explain this again for a newbie? I don't get it

 

[slidehammer]

What do you guys think?

I'd consider forgoing symmetry and moving the dog door opening two inches to the left. Or are you up against another built-up column on that side?

 

[DougWil]

Can you explain this again for a newbie? I don't get it

Those 2xs are built up to support a load from above like a floor beam (assuming a 2nd floor) or a roof girder.

Cutting 1 or 2 out without knowing why they are there and what load they support is foolish.

After you determine why they are there and what load it supports, you may have the option of bracing up the beam, removing the wood built up column and replacing it with a dimensionally smaller steel post with connections to the sole plate and upper plates.
2x wood can be attached to the steel column so that the sheet rock has a place to be nailed to.

If you are not qualified to be doing this, don't!
Hire a professional.

 

[DougWil]

I would have no
Problem taking the sawzall to it. If there's that many 2x6s there id feel ok about. The standing strength of wood on end is great.

There are many 2x6s there for a reason, taking a sawsall to a column having no idea what loads it supports and how eccentric you may make that load when you chop away 1 side is completely foolish.

 

[kd3pc]

+1 on DougWil comments,

While you may not see an immediate reaction to your cutting, (You may!) in the long run it is best to NOT do this, unless you are going to replace it with smaller steel of equal strength.

 

[manwithtools]

I'd consider forgoing symmetry and moving the dog door opening two inches to the left. Or are you up against another built-up column on that side?

This ^^^ or get a smaller pet door. There are ways to do this properly as DougWil describes in his post. Cutting structural members without fully understanding their purpose is never a good idea.

 

[Zeke]

Can you explain this again for a newbie? I don't get it

Something like this:

Ignore the beam and you only need one 2 x 6 on either side.

 

[ItsNemo]

Odds are the outer 2x is not supporting load, it's probably there to keep the beam from shifting. Really though you'll need to open up the entire corner to see for sure. I'm with the others that say move the door over instead.

 

[Kevin54]

Post a pic of what things look like from the outside. Sometimes to save time, construction guys will just stack wood to fill in a space. You may actually need it, or you may be able to do away with it. Just a shot of the hole in the wall makes it hard to tell though.

 

[R6 Racer]

Those 2xs are built up to support a load from above like a floor beam (assuming a 2nd floor) or a roof girder.

Cutting 1 or 2 out without knowing why they are there and what load they support is foolish.

After you determine why they are there and what load it supports, you may have the option of bracing up the beam, removing the wood built up column and replacing it with a dimensionally smaller steel post with connections to the sole plate and upper plates.
2x wood can be attached to the steel column so that the sheet rock has a place to be nailed to.

If you are not qualified to be doing this, don't!
Hire a professional.

There are many 2x6s there for a reason, taking a sawsall to a column having no idea what loads it supports and how eccentric you may make that load when you chop away 1 side is completely foolish.

slidehammer; I'd consider forgoing symmetry and moving the dog door opening two inches to the left. Or are you up against another built-up column on that side?

There's your answers!
Unless your up against another built-up column on that side?

Steve

 

[Bondo]

I'm installing a dog door, and I only have one location to place it.

Ayuh,.... Get rida the dog, 'n fix the drywall,....

Those are structural members,...

 

[Zeke]

Post a pic of what things look like from the outside. Sometimes to save time, construction guys will just stack wood to fill in a space. You may actually need it, or you may be able to do away with it. Just a shot of the hole in the wall makes it hard to tell though.

There is some merit to this ^^ because a true beam support would likely be a 4 x or 6 x 6 post with king studs on each side, a hold down at the base and a metal connection at the top. A metal column of a smaller size will bear as much weight as larger wood components and provide a base plus a plate at the top to screw into whatever is coming across to the top of that wall.

People who come here and ask about installing a dog door and hacking away at the existing framing should not take the answers here too seriously. It's an Internet forum and half the people who will chime in have never built a house, much less even a room addition. So they don't understand twist and roll, etc.

@ the OP, take off the drywall to the corner bead as I suggested and let's see what the real deal is here. Otherwise, turn this over to a competent contractor who will investigate and use tables to decide what the load is.

Probably no need for an engineer for something this simple. Just good sense.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

If you crawled under a table, and did not know how much weight was setting on top of it... Would you just saw off one of the legs anway??

 

[Zeke]

If you crawled under a table, and did not know how much weight was setting on top of it... Would you just saw off one of the legs anway??

4 legs arranged in a square, rectangle, or any other shape other than a straight line is just not the same. Chances are that only one of the 2 x 6's would hold the weight. But that doesn't address much of the structural design, e.g., (as I mentioned before) twist and other movements that cause cracks in the finish, lift in a big storm or major live load event like an earthquake or a Big Fat Greek wedding.

 

[CNGsaves]

Likely will have exact same issue on the exterior wall. What is out there ??

Was there insulation in that wall ??

Do NOT cut the structural support on right side. Easier/cheaper solution might be to research if stud on left side can be cut and supported with "header" and support on both sides. Then you've have room you need for dog door and leave all those supporting studs alone.

 

[jd_1138]

That's structural/load bearing in nature. I wouldn't touch it.

 

[DC73]

I'd consider forgoing symmetry and moving the dog door opening two inches to the left. Or are you up against another built-up column on that side?

Agree. Looks like there's another stud on the left of the opening. If so, and it's just a standard stud (not another column), the OP could cut that stud and frame out a simple header for his dog door.

DC

 

[SH7mi]

How about getting a smaller dog ?

 

[ford33]

Put the doggy door in a screen door going out to the yard. You can then control when the dog leaves the house and that is when the patio door is open.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Cut it out and replace with a fabricated steel member.

 

[jrsavoie]

Apparently having structural members is way over rated.

In the house my daughter bought they cut 6 out of 8 floor joists in a row bottom to top.

It's a good thing she had a 2" thick floor to hold the joists up

 

[Blue XJ]

There are many 2x6s there for a reason, taking a sawsall to a column having no idea what loads it supports and how eccentric you may make that load when you chop away 1 side is completely foolish.

Oh come on, I bet they added extra 2x6's everywhere in the house, they were probably on sale that day at the hardware store.

 

[Angelfire]

Agree. Looks like there's another stud on the left of the opening. If so, and it's just a standard stud (not another column), the OP could cut that stud and frame out a simple header for his dog door.

DC

This would be simple to do and then you wouldn't have to mess with the structural side.

 

[Nowater]

Maybe you could consider boxing out with 2 by 4s around the opening size that you need, on the inside of the house and on the surface of the wall, and allowing the space between the 2 by 6s to be the passage size for the dog. Mount your dog door on the new 2 by 4s.

Yes, I know it will stick into the house area a few inches.

 

[DekeT]

Ayuh,.... Get rida the dog, 'n fix the drywall,....

Those are structural members,...

 

[Git]

Need more pics to see what is really going on

Next - are you trying to install a 'store bought' doggy door? If you made one yourself, could your dog fit through that width say minus a 1 1/2"

Here is one I made - 3/4" Oak with an aluminum frame on the outside to cover the edge. The flap is clear vinyl - they sell it buy the roll to replace the strips like in a meat locker

 

[ishiboo]

1. Second floor?

2. If there isn't, what's going on in the attic?

3. If there is, what's above that area in the ceiling?

 

[Homerr]

Leave the multiple studs on the right side of your pic alone.

Cut the sheetrock back farther (yellow line).

Cut the left side stud just above where the dog door will go.

Scab on a 2x6 stud that laps 12" with the now-cut stud (red line).

Nail lapped studs together w/ (4) 16d nails or (4) 3" construction screws (green lines).

Attach the bottom of the new 2x6 to the bottom plate w/ (2) nails/screws (toe-nail/diagonal).

Fix the sheetrock and install the dog door (blue lines).

 

[bzinsky]

This is not "garage" related, but general house framing/structure question.

I'm installing a dog door, and I only have one location to place it. When removing the drywall there are about 5-6 2x6's in a row. In the photo they continue all the way to the corner.

I need to cut out some of the 2x6's to make the hole fit. Basically the drywall removed is the hole I need.

Do I have any structural integrity issues or am I good since there will still be multiple 2x6's even if I remove two of them?

What do you guys think?

Every stud on your exterior wall is load bearing, just a matter of how much load. You likely want to keep this simple and some of the suggestions are a bit over the top for a doggy door. If you want to cut out any studs, simply put, you will need to do more demo than you likely want to for the sake of investigation.

There is only 2 places on your exterior wall that you can get away with minimal demo.
-finding two studs that are 16" apart and go in between them
-under a window. Windows have lintels above them so that the window itself does not hold any load. Directly under the window, there is no load. There will be studs on both sides of the window that run top to bottom, they are load bearing. There is likely one stud directly under the window, it only goes floor to window but it is just there to ensure you have studs every 16", it is non-load bearing and you can cut it out. Notice the outlet directly under the window to the right....that outlet is installed on the non-load bearing stud

Also just something to think about, I love doggy doors, but if your dog is big enough to need a door that size, then that means a person can get through it.

 

[ishiboo]

Leave the multiple studs on the right side of your pic alone.

Cut the sheetrock back farther (yellow line).

Cut the left side stud just above where the dog door will go.

Scab on a 2x6 stud that laps 12" with the now-cut stud (red line).

Nail lapped studs together w/ (4) 16d nails or (4) 3" construction screws (green lines).

Attach the bottom of the new 2x6 to the bottom plate w/ (2) nails/screws (toe-nail/diagonal).

Fix the sheetrock and install the dog door (blue lines).

Don't do that.

To do it correctly if you cut the stud to the left, you will need to put a header, which will require having a cripple to carry it on each side.

 

[bzinsky]

Leave the multiple studs on the right side of your pic alone.

Cut the sheetrock back farther (yellow line).

Cut the left side stud just above where the dog door will go.

Scab on a 2x6 stud that laps 12" with the now-cut stud (red line).

Nail lapped studs together w/ (4) 16d nails or (4) 3" construction screws (green lines).

Attach the bottom of the new 2x6 to the bottom plate w/ (2) nails/screws (toe-nail/diagonal).

Fix the sheetrock and install the dog door (blue lines).

this is basically a textbook example of how not to do it

 

[Homerr]

this is basically a textbook example of how not to do it

Don't do that.

To do it correctly if you cut the stud to the left, you will need to put a header, which will require having a cripple to carry it on each side.

Wow, you guys are really overthinking it. This is buying the guy 1.5-2" to fit a dog door in a space less than 16" between the studs on the right and trimmer/king stud on the left.

I was just about rolling on the floor over the steel post idea. Might as well get a building permit and hire a general contractor to complete this major renovation.

This really isn't that big of a deal. But, yes, be sensible when cutting structure - ask the question. Be safe. I'm guessing the stud at the left edge was put there 16" over from the exterior corner and the studs on the right were added for an additional load coming down at the corner. The trimmer and king stud next to the window and the multiple studs on the right are doing just about all the work on this short wall section.

ps2cho, the only exception is if you have some major load coming down from above on the right side of the window to the left of the hole, this would be if you cut back the sheetrock and saw solid studs all the way over to the window; or seismic holdown hardware. Then I would suggest finding a different place for the doggie door. Removing a little more sheetrock will reveal all, you're already in to repairing it, what's a little more?

Source:
I've been drawing houses and doing gravity calcs for 28 years.

 

[bczygan]

Has the structure collapsed yet?

We want photos...

Bill

 

[Zeke]

Wow, you guys are really overthinking it. This is buying the guy 1.5-2" to fit a dog door in a space less than 16" between the studs on the right and trimmer/king stud on the left.

I was just about rolling on the floor over the steel post idea. Might as well get a building permit and hire a general contractor to complete this major renovation.

This really isn't that big of a deal. But, yes, be sensible when cutting structure - ask the question. Be safe. I'm guessing the stud at the left edge was put there 16" over from the exterior corner and the studs on the right were added for an additional load coming down at the corner. The trimmer and king stud next to the window and the multiple studs on the right are doing just about all the work on this short wall section.

ps2cho, the only exception is if you have some major load coming down from above on the right side of the window to the left of the hole, this would be if you cut back the sheetrock and saw solid studs all the way over to the window; or seismic holdown hardware. Then I would suggest finding a different place for the doggie door. Removing a little more sheetrock will reveal all, you're already in to repairing it, what's a little more?

Source:
I've been drawing houses and doing gravity calcs for 28 years.

I don't know why you'd be rolling on the floor about my steel post idea. You may very well be a good house designer (you didn't mention being an architect) but your drawings are not always followed to a T. Anything over 3 members supporting a beam is not good framing. E.g., a vertical stack of 2 x's will never be as stable as a post. If it's a 6 x beam above, it should have a 4 x 6 or 6 x 6 under it with kings on either side to prevent rolling. I've seen double kings, of course, just as I've seen double trimmers (or jacks depending on where you live). Who knows what's behind that wall? Only the OP and he's not here anymore.

But a steel column will do more work in less space than a gaggle of lumber and it has better attachment features than any piece of wood short of using hold downs (that you mentioned) and a saddle at the top. Now do I tend to do things right? Yes. And it was just one idea of many presented here. Some will work and some are ludicrous.

(Speaking of saddles, they are a ***** to retro fit whereas a column slides right in with no work to be done above the ceiling.)

You say, " The trimmer and king stud next to the window and the multiple studs on the right are doing just about all the work on this short wall section." What is "just about?" Do you see some other structure in there that we don't see? Is there a shear panel?

No one here knows anything until the OP opens the wall up. Going to the bullnose corner bead just makes good sense at least to the height of the dog door. Much better patch.

Building permit? Well, if you ask an inspector, he/she will tell you that a permit is a requirement. But here one is needed to change out a water heater. And there's good reason for that since we live in seismic city.

BTW, since I'm on a rant, when we had the "Northridge" earthquake there were many 2 story failures. Turns out most of the buildings that came apart were 'short nailed'. It's always a good idea to improve on a situation especially if it needs improvement.

And that *********** in that wall is a candidate.