# Adding head room to stairway



## D.Foster (Sep 13, 2008)

Just wanted to see if you guys have had to do this. I've been called upon to increase the head room at the bottom of a stairway, right now it is in plane with the floor above, there is no header below the floor joists. Just a double floor joist. And to add to it, the side walls in the area of question are brick with a piece of angle iron below the plane on the room side of the stair(make sense?)It all has to get moved up but i can't open the walls to shore up a new header to replace the joists. I might be able to get a picture soon, but if anyone can understand, and help.....:thumbsup:
Thanks!


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## RMcBride (Dec 21, 2009)

How much headroom do you need?

You could install a smaller LVL beam section with a joist hanger on one side and a metal angle on the other installed into the brick with mollies or through bolts.


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

Move the header back and splay or chamfer to increase headroom, GMOD


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

A molly?


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## D.Foster (Sep 13, 2008)

I Have some Pics Now!!! So here you have the Angle under the brick, which goes into the mortar joint, and cutting the bricks above will look like crap i think. You'd see cut ends of metal and brick. And how would i replace the angle??
Then on the other side is a wood header,and if i raise that there will be a big hole in the brick. I think i might be able to do something with that.....If i can find some of that brick.
Any ideas guys?


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

Lower the floor


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## D.Foster (Sep 13, 2008)

Thom......Why didnt i think of that??:thumbup:


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## BillD (Jun 9, 2008)

If you only need a few inches. Can you move the wood header up more than what you need allowing you to work in a new angle from the back side to get the headroom you need? Then use the brick you take out to fill in around the header and tooth in where the angle was raised.

It will be hard to get the mortar to match but I'm guessing that would probably be easier for the H/O to deal with than not having the proper head room.

Bill


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

Then when you get the head clearance issue solved, do you need to solve the rise/run issue. Maybe it's the photo but those stairs look a bit steeper than any code I ever worked with would allow.


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## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

are those fake boxed beams to the left and right of the stiairs? Seems you mentioned the joists are doubled up...if the wall above those joists are not load bearing (ask Mr. Engineer) some creative work could be done w/ a Paralam beam or metal. As Thom mentioned, what is up with the stairs, they do look steep. It's a doable project but with opening up the walls it could a little costly, are the customers willing to spend some money on this little project?


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## D.Foster (Sep 13, 2008)

Yea the stairs have issues, but the well is running dry......


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

Is this some kind of enclosed breezeway? As if this space was created afterwards. Whats above it? If there is no other brick veneer above that ceiling why not eliminate those 3 measly courses and install a slimmer engineered header.


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## D.Foster (Sep 13, 2008)

tom m said:


> Is this some kind of enclosed breezeway? As if this space was created afterwards. Whats above it? If there is no other brick veneer above that ceiling why not eliminate those 3 measly courses and install a slimmer engineered header.


These are stairs to the basement from the 1st floor, and from what we can see on the 1st floor the brick carries up and through. They sheetrocked over it on the above floor. but we opened the backs of the walls for other work and discovered brick.. Hence my concerns.


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## RMcBride (Dec 21, 2009)

I'm currently at a loss without seeing what's behind the drywall and/or having some engineered drawings.

I'd think you could take it out and support it differently if it wasn't load bearing. If it is and there isn't any room to move things, you might just be SOL.


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