# Load bearing?



## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

We are in the process of starting to remodel the house that is on the property we purchased last year. My wife wants some walls removed. I'm pretty sure that this is non load bearing but wanted another opinion. 

This is a view of the wall 









Wall runs parallel with the ceiling joists. 









This is looking down from the attic, the wall is right between these two joists. 









This is the corner in the chimney end

















This is the end against the outer wall









From everything I know I don't think this is load bearing a few things I don't know about, why did they use the angled bracing in the stud wall, and why is it notched around the siding on the exterior wall? I could take the siding down to check it out but my wife wants to leave that exposed so I don't want to touch it if I don't have to. 

I haven't done any demo on it yet but the other wall she wants removed should be the same just on the other side if the chimney.


----------



## Grumpy old man (Aug 6, 2013)

That"s a load bearing wall noted by the bracing and notching to the top of the side wall , you could take it out but would have to brace the ceiling joists before and replace the main beam with something like 3 2x10's or 12's mated together and then you would have a cross beam to carry the load and the beam would be exposed below the ceiling height .done right it's easy and safe ,done wrong and your buying a new house .


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Nope....it's not a load bearing wall. 

First clue is the ceiling joists run in the same direction as the wall. To be a "bearing wall", these joists would run at right angle to the wall, and sit on top the wall. They clearly do not.

Looking at your second photo, you can actually see the right most ceiling joist sitting to the left side of the wall in question, and even a small gap between it and the top plate of the wall. The brick flue appears to be carrying that joist, and the next one to the left. 

*THAT would be more of concern to me if you plan to use that flue..*...supposed to be a minimum of 8" between the interior of the flue, and any wood, plus a inch of air space. There is only a half a brick between the flue interior and that left joist....can't see up in that space, but you can tell from the fact the joist is sitting on half the end of a brick....which would make me wonder WHAT they used between the flue interior and the joist. 

I WOULD NOT USE THAT FLUE in it's current configuration. Yes....it's been there for many years and nothing has happened, but they were flat lucky. That would not pass any building code anywhere, nor does it pass the code of common sense.

The angled brace is to stiffen the wall against lateral movement ( racking ), notching it into the studs is an old time method ( and a very good one....I still use it ) where not only the nails hold the wall in square, but the notch itself does a lot. The brace has nothing to do with bearing or non bearing walls.

The top plate notched into the outer, right hand wall is also standard carpentry practice when tying in a partition wall to another wall. Again, nothing to do with bearing or non bearing wall.


----------



## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

That's what I was thinking about the wall just feel better confirming it. My wife wants to retain the flue for cosmetic reasons but I'm planning on installing radent heat in the house. A few years back I bought all the manifolds and tube to pour a slab in the lean to of a barn to use as a shop, that project never got any farther so I think I have most of what ill need and can do it affordable.


----------



## Grumpy old man (Aug 6, 2013)

Well I'm looking at the 2x4s in the wall being warped and I still think it's carrying some of the load .But hit it with a sledge and take a few out and you'll find out quick . Hope it all works out good .


----------



## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

Grumpy old man said:


> Well I'm looking at the 2x4s in the wall being warped and I still think it's carrying some of the load .But hit it with a sledge and take a few out and you'll find out quick . Hope it all works out good .





FarmerDavid said:


> This is the corner in the chimney end
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I tried zoomin in but it's still hard to see but the wall ends flush against the center wall that the joists set on. It runs between the two joists the entire room, i can stick a sawzall blade between the two. I assume the outside wall is the same they just put the wall in then notched around the wall to put up the siding. My biggest concern was if the ange bracing could be carrying any of the load.


----------



## Grumpy old man (Aug 6, 2013)

wouldn't it be safer and less problems to just brace the ceiling and place a new beam across and be done with it ?


----------



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

While it is not supporting a load from above (no header above door), the diagonal bracing leads me to believe that it does have a side load on it. Usually diagonal bracing like that is only done on exterior walls I have seen it done on interior walls that are against a long exterior wall to support the middle of it from bowing in or out.

WWW


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

The second picture has me concerned, at the end near the chimney there is a single cross joist. Looks like the ceiling joist to the left of the chimney is dead ended at that single cross joist. Also the next one, to the right of the chimney, Is it tied into that single cross joist. Those ceiling joists are not run on top of the cross wall header. What and how are the rest, to the right of the chimney? Is that wall supporting the double ceiling joist or is one of the double joists run all the way on top of the cross wall header? Those 2 joists and that single cross joist looks a little IFFY to me. 

....James


----------



## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

James,

The right double joist does sit on the middle wall but I don't like it that those to the imediate right sit on the load bearing center wall but right at the end of it, as in the end of the top 2x are supported by the stud 16" to the right. That's an easy fix just add two studs in the wall so it sits on them. I can and probably add two 2x6 above where the existing wall is that would sit on the load Bering walls then attach the joist at the right corner of the flue to them for more support. The on on the left of the chimney butts against the chimney, It does sit on the wall i want to remove. I don't really like how they did it. I could sister a joist along its entire length that would sit on the exterior and center load Bearing walls. If I did that both joists in question would be sistered to joists spanning the entire room sitting on load bearing walls. The upstars is basically an attic but has been, and will be used as a bed room but there are no walls above any of this. I hate to put in a beam that would lower the ceiling height because its not 8' to begin with and I'm 6'7 so I'd hit my head on a beam that lowered the ceiling height. 

I think I'd feel pretty good about doing it how I described above what do you think?


----------



## FarmerDavid (Jul 16, 2012)

Ill add that I've been real supprised that all of the floors are level and nothing sags I've been pretty impressed by that for a house built in 32. I have found where a roof leak went I patched and ran Down an exterior wall and rotted the sill plate but that's another project and not near any of this work.


----------



## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

That wall is definitely carrying a load... the insulation in attic above it might not be too heavy, but the air above that! Yikes.. that stuff extends all the way to the top of the atmosphere and weighs in at about 14 lbs per square inch!! 

Take the wall out, put a double stud back in the center wall where the two diagonals currently join if you are concerned about the joist above. its just a partition wall.


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Not a Load Bearing Wall, feel free to remove it!


----------

