Walls and Ceilings - opening up walls

i am opening up some walls (load bearing) on the first floor of my home. I am going about it certain that they are load bearing.

the first doorway i am making wider is to the kitchen where i removed one stud and replaced the entryways header (2x6) with a wider one to accomodate

the second is to a space that used to be a third bedroom in this modified ranch. this BR was sacrificed by previous owners to build stairs to the second floor. The remainder is an awkwardly narrow room that i want to open up and use as an extension of my living space for a small office. I will need to remove three studs and replace it with a header (2x8 or 2 x12 to avoid making the smaller studs?) i will leave that "column" there and wrap it up somehow...need ideas.

since this span is pretty wide, should i set the header on 2 2x4's? or is one on each side sufficient?

what do you all think of my ideas here? works?

pics:

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1179164

thanks for any input

hi
if your in a ranch model home 2 2x6 nails togetter is good for 6 feet span
since ther no other floor on top.
hope this helps

pgtek

its a ranch that has been converted to a mother and daughter with the addition of an entire second floor. 2 2x6 still good?