Basement wall load bearing?
#1
05-26-15, 08:57 AM
Basement wall load bearing?
Hi,
My home was built in 1930 in rural KY, and includes a walk-out basement. There is a coal room in the basement with a chute for coal delivery many years ago. I would like to eliminate the wall making this a room, in order to expand the area of my unfinished basement. If the wall is load bearing, I have no intention of messing with structural changes. I've attached a few pictures. Any advise is appreciated, thanks!
My home was built in 1930 in rural KY, and includes a walk-out basement. There is a coal room in the basement with a chute for coal delivery many years ago. I would like to eliminate the wall making this a room, in order to expand the area of my unfinished basement. If the wall is load bearing, I have no intention of messing with structural changes. I've attached a few pictures. Any advise is appreciated, thanks!
#2
05-26-15, 09:35 AM
Group Moderator
If it were a new house I'd say it's not load bearing but older houses were often built... "creatively". Many had interior walls that were not initially load bearing but after 50+ years of settling they may have become load bearing. Removing them might cause further settling or uneven floors.
In your second photo it looks like the joist right over the wall has a short block attached to the side of it. Is that joist spliced there? If so you would need to properly sister that joist before removing the wall.
What is upstairs immediately above the wall you want to remove? If there is a wall, even one perpendicular the wall in the basement may be carrying a load now. It might not be a proper load bearing wall but things above may have settled and turned that wall into load bearing.
In your second photo it looks like the joist right over the wall has a short block attached to the side of it. Is that joist spliced there? If so you would need to properly sister that joist before removing the wall.
What is upstairs immediately above the wall you want to remove? If there is a wall, even one perpendicular the wall in the basement may be carrying a load now. It might not be a proper load bearing wall but things above may have settled and turned that wall into load bearing.
