Removing the Marriage Wall in our Mobile Home
Removing the marriage wall in our mobile home was one of the best design choices that we have made for our home. The marriage wall in a manufactured mobile home is a structural load bearing wall. Removing the the wall between our kitchen and living room created an open layout for our double wide home.
The marriage wall is two walls joined together and is thicker than most interior walls. Since this is a load bearing wall, we called in contractors to handle the process of removing the marriage wall and installing the large beams.
Removing Structural Walls in a Modular Home
After recently moving our double wide mobile home to the farm, we have been busy getting some of the to-do items checked off our list. Up first, we put the skirting and siding back on after the move. Then, I finished up a shiplap wall in our hallway.
Next, we had a contractor come in to look at removing the marriage wall in our home. This has been on list for quite some time and I am so grateful that the wall has finally come down.
This is not a do it yourself project that I would recommend anyone taking on unless you are knowledgeable on load bearing wall structures within a modular home. There are many factors that go into removing the wall, and then being sure that the correct structure is in place to support the home.
Removing the Load Bearing Marriage Wall | Mobile Home
What is a Marriage Wall?
The marriage wall in our home was between the kitchen/dining room and living room. This is where the home comes together, and the wall is considered a load bearing wall, supporting the roof in this area of our home.
To remove the wall, and not add a dropped header would compromise our roof structure. The only way to remove the wall, was to have professionals come in and do the work correctly.
I am sharing a lot of photos from the day and a short video sharing the process. However, I will not go into any of the details because of all the various aspects of having this done.
Each home is different on load bearing walls. The best thing you can do is contact a professional to look at the situation. A post called, Removing Walls in a Mobile Home, is also a great read with more information.
Now that the wall is gone, the living space is more open. We already installed hardwood floors and will need to do some repair. Those repairs will be to fix the section of missing boards.
To see how we put our hardwood floors in read the post, Installing Hardwood Floors in a Mobile Home. To see how we achieved the rustic look on hardwoods read, Rustic Black Painted Hardwood Floors.
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Removing a Structural Marriage Wall | Before & After
Below are photos showing the difference now that the short marriage wall has been removed from between the two rooms. Now that this is a completed project, the plan is to finish the living room.
Those plans include new lighting, covering the ceiling, adding trim, painting the front door and redoing the fireplace area. It is quite incredible to see just how far this space has come since we purchased the home. To see more of the before photos read, Living Room Progress.
We did this during our kitchen reno, and I love it! It made our living area seem so much bigger and more functional.
Did you have the header put in? I am so amazed at the difference in how the space feels. It’s wonderful!
We did this during our kitchen reno, and I love it! It made our living area seem so much bigger and more functional.
Love your style and the changes you and your family are making to your home!
I lived most of my childhood in a mobile home so I totally can appreciate what opening up the two rooms will feel like.
Lisa
Thank you!
Do you know the beam size? The depth and width?
We took out a similar wall between our kitchen and dining/living and a free standing closet in our entry last last November. After 25 years in our house I have never loved it more! Still a work in progress but, like you, we enjoy it even in process. Thanks for inspiring us all!
Thanks so much for sharing your work – your home is beautiful and just what I am hoping to do. Really appreciate seeing this marriage wall removal – it can happen!
warm wishes for continued happy living!
Yes, it can be done. Not a project I would do without a professional, but it made such a huge difference!
Hi! It looks like our homes have just about the same layout! I was wondering where you put your tv? That’s something I’m stuck on with such an open floor plan. A video overview of your home would be amazingly helpful! Absolutely beautiful work you’ve done!
Do you have pics looking into the kitchen?
If you go to one of my current posts, the one where I build our kitchen island, I take several of those photos looking from the living room into the kitchen.
Hello how is everybody doing? I was wondering how much did they charge you for removing this load bearing for marriage wall?
That is going to vary from contractor to contractor. It’s best to get multiple quotes and check references.
May I ask, what type of flooring is used? It is beautiful!
We used 3/4 inch white oak hardwood flooring. I painted them black and then sanded them back down to create the look they have now.
I love this idea! We have been trying to figure out how to redo our mobile home to fit all the grandbabies for Christmas! I showed this to my son-in-law, who’s helping us redo it, and we’re getting our dumpster rental tomorrow to start tearing things out. Thank you so much for sharing; I might just borrow the shiplap idea too!!!
My mobile home is in need of some major upgrades and renovations, but because my home is on the smaller side I don’t know if taking the marriage wall out from the middle of my kitchen and living room will do us any good. I’m wondering if there is a needed amount of square footage in order to make the open concept work? Could you throw out some measurements of what the size would need to be to even consider this… my double wide is 1200 SQ total. I have not measured just the living room and kitchen yet, but I know if the marriage line was removed an island would need to go in to serve as our table and cook space. What do you think?
Our doublewide is around 1800 square feet. I am not sure of your layout but I do know for us that having the wall gone has made the open concept so much better.
Hi, I’m looking to do this for myself. I’ve noticed other walls along the marriage line have long, thin metal strips running vertically along the top and bottom of the studs where it connects to the ceiling and floor. The wall I want to remove doesn’t have those, did the wall you removed have metal pieces at the top and bottom?
We did not have them running vertically however we do have small metal pieces that run horizontally where the doublewide joins in the middle. Hopefully that makes sense.
Do you know the size lvl beam you used? Working on a renovation like yours.
Thanks
Dan
Love the open concept. We are wanting to do the same in ours and will hire it out. Can I ask how much of the marriage wall you took out? Ours would be over 20 feet but your opening doesn’t seem as large. Thanks.
What was the ballpark price for this