Support for mobile home exterior walls for additions.

[xsassygirl]

Not sure I can explain or describe my problem clearly but I will try. I inherited a residence that started out as a single wide mobile home. Over the years additions were added, a porch on one side and a full length addition on the other side. I am aware that once the mobile home section had it's roof and then one was added to the full length extension and then a overall tin roof was added to cover both mobile home and addition. I am not sure how the addition was connected since it seems that drywall was added to the addition walls facing the exterior mobile home wall. The orginial windows are still enveloped in the mobile home wall facing the addition. The cutouts in the exterior wall for the full length addition consist of an opening into the living room spaning approximately 12 feet and the two doors leading to the bathroom and the bedroom.

The support beam doesn't look as if it is connected to any beam and I can only think that the header beam was connected to the beam above. I want to continue the opening past the existing beam to the front of the addition. My question is? Do I also need to put up a header beam when I continue the opening?

I am supply pictures of the openings if there is a method to upload. I also want to replace the two small mobile home windows with a larger window. The outside shell enclosing the mobile home and addition is siding.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you.

[David Oxhandler]

The rule of thumb for making or increasing openings in framed walls calls for replacement of vertical support with a heavier header and beefed up verticals on the ends of the opening. Additionally you need to consider the foundation support and probably need to add support below the edges of the opening.

Get a carpenter or contractor with experience in rebuilding framing to advise you.

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