HELLO!

I’m so grateful for Reddit and all the communities! Thank you!

I want to remodel my galley kitchen and create an open floorplan with a countertop bar. Yesterday my general contractor and I looked at the structure of the wall I will need to modify. We learned that the ONLY way to open that wall is to have a post at the corner of the bar. In some situations this would be acceptable. In my case the house is small, therefore the scale is small. I’m heavily leaning towards no post. But I’m a creative problem solver and got to thinking that maybe a clear material, like acrylic, or something else, could work. Is there a clear material that is as strong as wood that I could use as a structural post? If maybe or yes, is there somewhere I can get more info about its strength and properties?

I so appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you. 😊

EDIT: I hired a structural engineer for $400 which included an inspection and verbal report. I had one general contractor and my carpenter there at the same time. We discussed three options none required a post. One was relatively easy and inexpensive. The workers are going to do it together. Thanks for all the great suggestions. Wish I had thought of the structural engineer sooner.