Notching a Load Bearing Wall

[SchuLace]

I know this isn't directly related to a garage but I know someone here can help me out.

I have a split foyer home that has a 9 foot wall that divides the kitchen and living room I would like to notch out part of this wall. My thoughts are to leave 5 feet or so of wall from the outside wall to the center and take out the top half of the wall out from there to the end. I plan on leaving the last 6 inches or so of the wall complete to the ceiling so it acts as a column support. My questions are, is this feasible? And will I need to put in a header support for this space? And how can I be sure this is a load bearing wall? I am assuming it just based off of where it is. It is in the center of the house and there is a beam in the basement right below this wall.

Any tips or ideas for me on this? Right now I am currently in the brain storming stage of this project. It would really open up my house if I could do this.

 

[Doug B]

...And how can I be sure this is a load bearing wall? I am assuming it just based off of where it is. It is in the center of the house and there is a beam in the basement right below this wall.

Is there living space above the kitchen and living room?If so,then it is probably a load bearing wall.If the roof is above this space,go up in the attic and see how your roof is built.If it's framed with trusses,it's probably not a load bearing wall. If it's framed with rafters and ceiling joists,then it probably is.

 

[JakeKohl]

The fact that there is a beam under this wall in the basement typically means that it is load bearing. You will probably find a similar beam in the attic where joists meet over this wall. You probably can create an opening by placing a header in the wall supported by two columns - but you really need to get an engineer (or a very experienced contractor) onsite to evaluate the application and size the beam. There are too many possible variables to consider without seeing it.