Need to open a load bearing wall for kitchen expansion-suggestions please

[TedK4070]

Our 100 year old house has a very narrow kitchen with limited counter space. It seems that the kitchen was added as an after-thought! There is an archway between the kitchen and a large “formal” dining room through a load bearing wall. I would like to put a peninsula type countertop/lunch bar starting right under where the wall is and extend it into the bigger dining room, thus opening the kitchen up. I would add cabinets under the peninsula and overhead on the kitchen side.
Question I have is how is the best way to support the ceiling and upper floor as I fit the header and posts? It’s plaster construction so will be a mess, that I can handle, but want it to be solid when done. Any help will be appreciated. TedK

[theeagle]

what you do is to build one wall about 16 inches to two feet away on each side of the wall you are about to demolish. 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 . one top plate ,one bottom plate. and hammer the studs in a little bit tight to slightly list the floors above, taking pressure off of the load bearing wall. note::: make sure the joists run at a 90 degree angle from your temporary wall so that you are not trying to carry the temporary weight between joists.
then put in a 2 by 10 beam(hopefully a triple) or 2 by 12 if you want more than a 8 foot span.
and make sure there is structure under the new stud and cripple that support the beam underneath so that it’s not the floor boards carrying the weight, instead of the lower carrying wall.

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