There is really a lot going on with this change. You need to remove drywall on the ceiling and walls to add beam. You need to drywall up after framing repairs are done, you need to replace/ change the crown molding (if there is any) change the baseboards in the area and then add a case opening. You need the ceiling and walls painted. This is the most difficult part, the flooring. The flooring is going to be jacked up and will require some serious rework to make it work, if it is even possible. $1k change now, probably 3-4k after the fact..

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Posted by bluemoons

the marsh

Member since Oct 2012

5583 posts

Posted on 3/21/17 at 9:50 pm to wickowick

Again, changing it now is not an option. As much as I wish this were the case, I've exhausted all attempts at getting that done. They just won't do it.

I think the cased opening is really my only hope to get this thing opened up. I'm gonna look into that. I'm not talking about a cased opening all the way to the floor...just something that's maybe a 5' wide open window of sorts between the kitchen and the living room. It wouldn't go all the way down to the floor, and I'd probably surface the bottom of the opening with granite that matches the rest of the kitchen. That would also give me kind of a bar front in my living room.

This post was edited on 3/21/17 at 9:51 pm

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Posted by Chuker

St George, Louisiana

Member since Nov 2015

7544 posts

Posted on 3/21/17 at 10:10 pm to wickowick

quote:
change the baseboards in the area and then add a case opening.

quote:
This is the most difficult part, the flooring. The flooring is going to be jacked up and will require some serious rework to make it work, if it is even possible. $1k change now, probably 3-4k after the fact..

One of us is not on same page as to what "cased opening" entails.

My thinking was that it is basically a window space opened up in center wall connecting living and kitchen. This opening wouldn't fully extend down to floor and may not go all way to ceiling.

something along the lines of this:

It does suck that something can't be done now rather than after the fact. Would be great if builder had some flexibility. Sounds like it is what it is though.

ETA: a lot has transpired since I started this post