if you want to eliminate a pole,you can use a flitch plate.what that is,is two peices of steel that would sandwich your existing beam,and the steel has a bolt pattern so you can drill through and support the house and then remove the pole-usualy the poles are 8' apart so you can get a 16' opening.if youre not handy dont try this your self,get a price from a local contractor,if you can get it done pretty reasonable its nice to have the open space