Re: Home Construction question, $ estimate for a door.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jrassy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well standard practice here is 2-2x10s with a 2x4 bottom plate in a load bearing wall in a basement.Now what i don't know is if the floor joists run parallel or perpindicular to the opening where he wants the door.If parallel it is not load bearing.<span style="color: #3366FF">If the joists are perpindicular then that wall is load bearing and code requires a header.</span> </div></div>
Not necessarily. Adding a wall beneath an existing floor, as in a basement partition, does not constitute a requirement for framing it as a bearing wall.
Again, if the existing structure is already carried by the structure in place, an additional wall, regardless of being parallel or perpendicular to the lay of the ceiling joists of the floor above it, does not require that wall be built to carry a load that does not exist.
In fact, the small section of wall the OP describes could just as easily be framed with 25 gauge metal studs and track. It is done all the time, is amply code compliant for the purposes he describes.
A header of the height you describe would eat up a considerable amount of space. 2 x 10s are 9 1/4" in height. Add to that the two 2x4s at the top of a bearing wall and the reduction in height is a total of 12 1/4". The standard rough opening required for a 6'/8" Prehung door unit is 82" ! The total floor to ceiling height of this basement must then be at least 94 1/4" to allow a wall framed using such a beefy header!
Additionally, if the wall is truly load bearing then merely building it as you describe with out ascertaining the depth of concrete in the footprint of this wall is just shoddy. In fact, a load bearing footer must be provided.
The predicate for calculating the size of a header is based on the total span and the live and dead loads that will be carried by it.
A basic space dividing partition erected in an existing basement, in a sound structure, almost never requires any more structure than that required to withstand the load of the wall itself. Hence the ability to use lightweight metal studs, half inch drywall and a prehung door unit.
But hey, if you want to use doubled up 2 x 10s, 2 x 12s, a parallam, an LVL or even a steel I-Beam, feel free! If it makes you feel better and the door will fit, no one is harmed!
