I'm in the middle of opening up a doorway where a pocket door once lived. This is in the first floor of a single story home in a wall that runs along the I-beam (which is below this floor in the basement), so I'm 99% sure it's a loadbearing wall. I know the pocket door framing members weren't really supporting any load even when the pocket door was in there, but I'm still worried about the current configuration . Now that it is removed I can see the pocket door framing was installed by cutting into the header.
My ultimate goal is to just leave this entryway open so I am not planning installing another door. I'm looking for some insight on where I should go from here? Should I hire an engineer to look at it? Should I remove some more of the plaster to see what the header looks like? What type of contractor would I hire if I wanted to get the header replaced?
Best Answer
You indicate there is an “I-beam” located above the pocket door. (I presume that’s a steel I-beam.) The I-beam will support all vertical loads from above and transfer them to the footings. The wood beam above the pocket door is merely for supporting the pocket door.