Under Basement Stair Storage

[JeffK]

Would like to have a door to access under stairs.
There are 2, 2x4 joist truss, so wall is non bearing. Studs are on 16" centers.

What is the best way to support the 2nd and 3rd, 2x10 headers?
I'm thinking a doubled up 2x4 header, attached to the stud on the left with a jack stud and run it to the 4th stud to the right with a jack stud and if necessary joist hangers.
Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Sparky617]

For a non-loadbearing wall you don't need a 2x10 header for your doorway. 2x4's on edge would be enough to give you a place to nail the trim.

Non-Load Bearing Interior Door Framing

 

[JeffK]

For a non-loadbearing wall you don't need a 2x10 header for your doorway. 2x4's on edge would be enough to give you a place to nail the trim.

Non-Load Bearing Interior Door Framing

Yes, as I mentioned, double up a 2x4 header with jack studs and joist hangers.

Thank you for your input!

 

[JeffK]

Yes, as I mentioned, double up a 2x4 header with jack studs and joist hangers.

Thank you for your input!

Hey Sparky.
You've helped me out several times and thanks again!

 

[Sparky617]

Hey Sparky.
You've helped me out several times and thanks again!

You're welcome.

I'm not following the need for joist hangers. You are not planning on cutting the floor trusses are you? That is a big no-no without an engineering design. Since the floor trusses are fine right now, and you're just building a wall below them to create a closet under the stairs all you need to do is nail into them to keep the wall from moving. The new wall would not need to carry any of the floor truss load.

 

[JeffK]

You're welcome.

I'm not following the need for joist hangers. You are not planning on cutting the floor trusses are you? That is a big no-no without an engineering design. Since the floor trusses are fine right now, and you're just building a wall below them to create a closet under the stairs all you need to do is nail into them to keep the wall from moving. The new wall would not need to carry any of the floor truss load.

Nope. I didn't explain it well.
Want to support the middle 2 joist that support the stair landing/platform directly above them. Then install an access panel.

 

[Sparky617]

Perpendicular to the floor trusses or along the side wall of the stairs? The floor trusses are supported at the stair opening by what appears to be a glue-lam beam with joist hangers supporting the ends of the floor trusses. Anything below that is immaterial. The side wall could be load bearing for the first floor. So I'd install a header to carry the load of the cut stud.

 

[JeffK]

Perpendicular to the floor trusses or along the side wall of the stairs? The floor trusses are supported at the stair opening by what appears to be a glue-lam beam with joist hangers supporting the ends of the floor trusses. Anything below that is immaterial. The side wall could be load bearing for the first floor. So I'd install a header to carry the load of the cut stud.

There are

Perpendicular to the floor trusses or along the side wall of the stairs? The floor trusses are supported at the stair opening by what appears to be a glue-lam beam with joist hangers supporting the ends of the floor trusses. Anything below that is immaterial. The side wall could be load bearing for the first floor. So I'd install a header to carry the load of the cut stud.

There are 3, 2x10's, that support the mid stairwell landing. These support joists run parallel with the wall and perpendicular to the landing joists.
The wall is non bearing but they do support the perpendicular 2x10 supports.

 

[William01]

I think you can create a door under your stairs with these tips:
-Use a doubled-up 2x4 header for support.
-Attach the header to the left stud with a jack stud.
-Extend it to the fourth stud on the right with another jack stud.
-Consider using joist hangers for additional support if necessary.

 

[JeffK]

I think you can create a door under your stairs with these tips:
-Use a doubled-up 2x4 header for support.
-Attach the header to the left stud with a jack stud.
-Extend it to the fourth stud on the right with another jack stud.
-Consider using joist hangers for additional support if necessary.

Exactly what I was thinking. Guess I would need to build a temporary wall for supporting the landing, then cut the studs.
That make sense?
Thank you!

 

[Ron Van]

So…I’m having a hard time figuring out where this door is. Sometimes (ok, always) a picture helps. You are thinking of making an access door here?

 

[JeffK]

Exactly what I was thinking. Guess I would need to build a temporary wall for supporting the landing, then cut the studs.
That make sense?
Thank you!

So…I’m having a hard time figuring out where this door is. Sometimes (ok, always) a picture helps. You are thinking of making an access door here?





View attachment 30886

Yes. I'd like the door 1 more stud over to the left and right. Probably make a removable hatch instead of a hinged door. How do you draw the lines, is there a tool within the thread?

 

[Sparky617]

In looking over the pictures, it looks like the floor truss was doubled up at the stair wall. So I'm thinking the wall there is load bearing, especially if you have a second floor with stairs stacked on top of these stairs. So, to pull out the studs and not have your floor collapse and your stair landing to stay in place, you're going to need a beam to carry the load across the opening. The opening as marked, or even wider as you say you want, your stair landing is depending on those jack studs and joists running perpendicular to the wall.

 

[JeffK]

In looking over the pictures, it looks like the floor truss was doubled up at the stair wall. So I'm thinking the wall there is load bearing, especially if you have a second floor with stairs stacked on top of these stairs. So, to pull out the studs and not have your floor collapse and your stair landing to stay in place, you're going to need a beam to carry the load across the opening. The opening as marked, or even wider as you say you want, your stair landing is depending on those jack studs and joists running perpendicular to the wall.

Yes. The joist trusts are doubled and load bearing and the 2x10 supports the mid, stairs landing. I'm thinking that a doubled up 2x4 header supporting the 2x10 should be sufficient or would you use a 2x6 header? Thank you for your help.

 

[Sparky617]

Yes. The joist trusts are doubled and load bearing and the 2x10 supports the mid, stairs landing. I'm thinking that a doubled up 2x4 header supporting the 2x10 should be sufficient or would you use a 2x6 header? Thank you for your help

I'll preface this with I'm not an engineer, and I'm just looking at few pictures not the plans for the house.
I'd think you'd need more than a double 2x4 or even a double 2x6. The stairs are being held up by what appears to be a 2x10. I'd match what is holding up the stair landing. Especially when DIYing, the labor is cheap, and the material difference cost isn't huge.

 

[Ron Van]

so you mentioned joist hangers. Are you thinking of installing a 2x8” header across the proposed opening and then hanging the existing joist supports to it?



Then put Jack studs on the left and right?

 

[Ron Van]

BTW, the forum doesn’t have line drawing tools. You have to use the tools on your computer. ie. Windows has the Paint App, Mac has the Preview App and the iphone has draw tools in the photo app.

This is the preview app with the draw tools at the top




This is the photo app on my phone with the draw tools on the bottom.

 

[JeffK]

I'll preface this with I'm not an engineer, and I'm just looking at few pictures not the plans for the house.
I'd think you'd need more than a double 2x4 or even a double 2x6. The stairs are being held up by what appears to be a 2x10. I'd match what is holding up the stair landing. Especially when DIYing, the labor is cheap, and the material difference cost isn't huge.

I'll preface this with I'm not an engineer, and I'm just looking at few pictures not the plans for the house.
I'd think you'd need more than a double 2x4 or even a double 2x6. The stairs are being held up by what appears to be a 2x10. I'd match what is holding up the stair landing. Especially when DIYing, the labor is cheap, and the material di

so you mentioned joist hangers. Are you thinking of installing a 2x8” header across the proposed opening and then hanging the existing joist supports to it?

View attachment 30889

so you mentioned joist hangers. Are you thinking of installing a 2x8” header across the proposed opening and then hanging the existing joist supports to it?

View attachment 30889

Then put Jack studs on the left and right?

I would install the same length header underneath the 3, 2x10's that are outlined in red. Use jack studs on each end. Would like to use a 2x4 header to conserve height but maybe need a 2x6 or larger. Thanks again!

Then put Jack studs on the left and right? I'd like to use 2x4's for the header to conserve space but maybe larger dimension wood is necessary.

 

[Sparky617]

I would install the same length header underneath the 3, 2x10's that are outlined in red. Use jack studs on each end. Would like to use a 2x4 header to conserve height but maybe need a 2x6 or larger. Thanks again!

We can't tell what size of header is required because we can't see how much the stud wall is transferring to the floor/footers looking at your pictures. I'm assuming quite a bit since they doubled the floor truss and built a wall under one of them. A floor truss can normally go a fairly wide span unsupported, much wider (depending on engineering design) than dimensional lumber (2xs). I'd be more concerned about the load from above than the load of the stairs and stair landing. You could reengineer the landing by moving the 2x header up to the same height as the stair landing and sistering it to the landing. But to do this, you'd have to do it on both sides of the stair landing since the beam under the right side of the landing would need replaced on the other side as well. That would give you even more headroom for your access. Without getting an engineer to review and approve I would err on the side of over-engineering.
On my basement project thread I show an opening I put in for a new exterior door. When my plans came back they said I might need an engineer to approve depending on what the inspector says after the fact. The engineer was going to cost me much more than the cost of lumber, even at the inflated costs during the early COVID days. Due to several factors, I was installing a new 2x4 wall in addition to the 2x4 on 12' centers exterior wall built originally. When I opened the wall for the door, I added a double 2x12 header at the ceiling to hold up my breakfast nook. I then added a double 2x10 on the door opening. I had more than enough structure there that the building inspector was fine with my opening. Minus the cost of the lumber I saved over a grand.

Basement Project thread

 

[JeffK]

We can't tell what size of header is required because we can't see how much the stud wall is transferring to the floor/footers looking at your pictures. I'm assuming quite a bit since they doubled the floor truss and built a wall under one of them. A floor truss can normally go a fairly wide span unsupported, much wider (depending on engineering design) than dimensional lumber (2xs). I'd be more concerned about the load from above than the load of the stairs and stair landing. You could reengineer the landing by moving the 2x header up to the same height as the stair landing and sistering it to the landing. But to do this, you'd have to do it on both sides of the stair landing since the beam under the right side of the landing would need replaced on the other side as well. That would give you even more headroom for your access. Without getting an engineer to review and approve I would err on the side of over-engineering.
On my basement project thread I show an opening I put in for a new exterior door. When my plans came back they said I might need an engineer to approve depending on what the inspector says after the fact. The engineer was going to cost me much more than the cost of lumber, even at the inflated costs during the early COVID days. Due to several factors, I was installing a new 2x4 wall in addition to the 2x4 on 12' centers exterior wall built originally. When I opened the wall for the door, I added a double 2x12 header at the ceiling to hold up my breakfast nook. I then added a double 2x10 on the door opening. I had more than enough structure there that the building inspector was fine with my opening. Minus the cost of the lumber I saved over a grand.

Basement Project thread

I want to thank all of you that have weighed and I think I will forego this project. Too much potential for problems. I'll just slide items between the studs
Thanks again.