JLC • NEW ENGLAND EDITION • JANUARY 1995 From time to time, we design ourselves into a corner. The particular corner of interest this month is the situation where we just don't have room for sufficient wood to hold things up — where a second-floor girder meets a wall directly above a sliding glass door. This girder supports second-story floor joists as well as a bearing wall carrying the roof structure. All of this requires tons of support for the end of the girder. Because the girder rests above the slider, a beam is needed to carry the girder's load to solid wall framing at either side of the door. But there just isn't room for
