Help with converting two garage doors into one
 

Hey guys!

I am trying to turn my two seperate garage doors into one large door. Each door is 8ft wide and separated by a two foot center column in the front. This column is load bearing. I want to knock this out and put a new header in. I have had three separate companies quote me 3 very different prices and ways to do it. This makes me nervous.

One guy said he would do a steel I beam another guy a steel lintel and the third said he would just re frame it all in with a wooden header. There is two bedrooms and a bathroom above the garage and a risk of sag or collapse is not an option. Has anyone done this before or have experience as the best way to do it and what size beam would be needed?

All the best,
Josh

garage door opening
 

First off you will most likely need building permits. I would contact a engineer to calculate the footings on each side of the garage door opening that will need to be increased to carry the additional weight from above. I would use a glu,lam beam, it would be nice if the garage wall was a framed 2 X 6 wall, you may be limited to the depth of the glu lam beam if you have a low ceiling height ( like a 8' plate height) if you have a 9' or 10' plate it shouldn't be a problem to install the proper size beam to carry the load. Relatively easy job depending on the exterior siding material, whether it's brick, stone, stucco or siding.
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...cbaeed705d.jpg

This is the house.


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Looks like 7' garage doors, with a 8' ceiling height?.Bit more involved with the brick veneer, but still not a problem. Do you have a set of plans form the original build, this would be really helpful! City or County building permits I'm sure are required and they would want the see engineer calculations.

John

That’s what’s crazy. All three contractors said they wouldn’t need a permit. Just over 9ft ceiling on the inside and 7ft tall garage doors. I unfortunately don’t have original build sheets


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Looks like 7' garage doors, with a 8' ceiling height?.Also looks like a poured concrete stem wall, so it would probably be either a wood or metal stud construction. It's more involved with the brick veneer, but still not a problem. Do you have a set of plans form the original build, this would be really helpful! City or County building permits I'm sure are required and they would want the see engineer calculations.

John

Sorry, Sent that twice. It could be done with out a permit, but if a building inspector drove by and saw what was going on. They would put a stop on the job until plans were submitted to the building department. Don't go for low bid...use someone with a good reputation!

You most definitely need a permit and engineered drawings
A you're changing structure
B dont use any contractor who says you dont
C even the concrete needs to be of known strength or have a stronger deeper footing to handle the extra loads at the end
D you need either wood or steel beam AND a lintel. A lintel is literally a piece of angle attached to structure to then hold up your brickwork above the new door . Go hit he "ledge" above those two doors now ... its steel

Goodluck with this could be super cool when done ... correctly lol

I'd leave it as-is. I think one door would look strange with that arch over only 1/2 the door.

Yup. Same thinking here.