The best way to tell if a wall is load bearing is to go in the attic ceiling space to see if there is any framing joists rafers trusses supported by that wall.
Determine load bearing wall from attic.
How to find a load bearing wall 1.
Load bearing walls typically run in.
Note the direction the roof ridge runs.
Using this technique you ll get a better idea of the location of the load bearing walls in your house.
Load bearing walls cross roof beams in a perpendicular direction.
If there is chances are the walls are load bearing.
A wall directly above those beams and any walls directly above those walls are probably load bearing.
Any part of a load bearing wall that is removed must be replaced with a suitable structural support such as a beam and or columns to bear the same load that was supported by the wall.
Load bearing wall removal facts.
While the joists and beams of your home are a good start to identify load bearing walls there are other options.
If the wall is located directly under the attic you can go up there to study the positions of the beams and joists.
Look inside the attic if possible to identify the direction in which the rafters or joists travel.
Look at the floor joists if you can see the floor joists either from the basement looking up.
If the wall in question is on the second floor look to see if there is a wall in the exact same place on the floor below.
Larger houses have more interior bearing walls because the spans are greater between the exterior walls.
Additionally most home s exterior walls are load bearing.
Look for extra wall support.
Enter the basement and inspect the.
Reinforcement posts and columns are.
Take a peek at the instructions on how your house was built.
You can remove a load bearing wall but you should never do it without consulting a professional builder or engineer.
You can usually get a copy of the.
Examine the roof structure from outside.
If you remove a load bearing wall without the proper planning it could quickly lead to disaster in the form of structural instability and ceiling sagging.
You should see this at the foundation level whether wood.
If you have remodeling plans that include removing or altering a wall you must determine whether the wall is load bearing or non load bearing.
There are secondary interior bearing walls which support a second floor or the attic above the first floor.
If it is a small home usually roof framing is in one direction only north south or east west.
