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garmz

Is this a load bearing wall?

GarmZ
11 years ago

I am planning to remove a wall for kitchen for my renovation.

Was wondering if I can get some opinions on this.

I know that my wall is perpendicular to the wall I want to taken down but does it mean that it is a load bearing wall?

The width of the house is 180 inches.

Here is the wall I want to take down
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/pt1f38oc94inn7g/LI0jksp2fl

Here is a panorama of my living room and the wall I want to take down

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/586e8l19k8m0c59/yRHDvGyhQw

Here is a pic of my living room and there are no other walls like it.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/vj5l20wfzwrm1i0/zwbLDNKB0w

I checked that joists run the entire width of the house.

Thanks for your help

This post was edited by GarmZ on Sun, Feb 3, 13 at 23:58

Comments (7)

  • snoonyb
    11 years ago

    If you have a basement with a center support beam and this wall occurs above above that beam, either parallel or perpendicular with the floor joists, it could be load bearing.

    If your house is single story, in the attic, if the ceiling joists continue over it, end over it, are spliced over it, or you have roof bracing landing on it, It's a bearing wall. If the ceiling joist are parallel with the wall and you have roof bracing landing on it, It's a bearingwall.

    If there is a 2nd floor above the wall, you have two options. You can remove a section of ceiling on both sides of the wall to determine if the 2nd floor, floor joists, cross it or end over it. If so, Its load bearing. Or you can use a stud finder to determine the location and direction of the joists.

  • GarmZ
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Snoony,

    Thanks for your input.

    My house does have two floors plus basement. I am pretty sure that the joists cross the wall but does that really mean that it is a support wall?

    I don't think that just because a wall crosses a joist it is a support wall. Does it? What if you want a room that sectioned off by a wall that crosses the joists?

    I checked out my basement and there are no support beams underneath the same wall in question.

    Is there a way to tell after ripping out the drywall away from the wall?

    Thanks appreciate the help.

  • GreenDesigns
    11 years ago

    Call a structural engineer.

  • renovator8
    11 years ago

    You would get more responses if you used links instead of making everyone cut and paste the URLs.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to photo

  • renovator8
    11 years ago

    another

    Here is a link that might be useful: another link

  • renovator8
    11 years ago

    There is no way to determine if a wall is load bearing from photos. Go to the building department and ask for the records for your address. The structural drawings might be there. If not, you should hire a professional who would tell you what finishes to remove to verify the structure.

    Here is a link that might be useful: also

  • brickeyee
    11 years ago

    "My house does have two floors plus basement. I am pretty sure that the joists cross the wall but does that really mean that it is a support wall? "

    Hire a structural engineer.

    Pics of the wall you want to remove do not tell anything.

    Joist height and span are the first things needed to determine if the beam is bearing weight from the joists.

    The alignment of the wall to the beam is also significant.

    It is hard to teach someone who knows nothing about structural design how to assess what is holding up a structure based on finished room pictures.