Moving a Bearing Point Wall during Design Stage


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Old 08-19-07, 08:09 PM
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Smile Moving a Bearing Point Wall during Design Stage

Hi Folks, I am doing a new build and would like the builder to move a wall about 4 feet. It appears that the wall is marked as an internal bearing point for a roof truss.

I was wondering if the internal bearing point can be moved along with the wall.

The wall in question is actually only 6 feet long with a doorway which I find odd that the architect would select that as an internal bearing point. The load probably can't be very high given that there is a doorway in this wall. Also the wall would move over to align with and become part of another longer wall which is also being used as an internal bearing point for other parallel trusses.

I also stress the fact it is an internal bearing point vs. an external one because I think there is more leeway in moving the internal bearing points along the length of the truss (which is like 50 ft. long).

Am I crazy? My thinking is the internal bearing point for a 50 ft long truss really is just a point the architect wants the roof truss to be nailed to. Thanks for any advice!
 
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Old 08-19-07, 08:40 PM
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builder in illinois

you need to know how the trussus were designed. some trusses have no internal loads and are bearing only on the outside and therefore you wouldn;t need any inside walls. Need to also look at where the walls are at below the wall you are trying to move. If there isn't any wall or steel underneath the wall you want to move, then it probably load bearing. You need to understand that if an inside wall is load bearing, then it has to transfer the load that it is carrying down to the steel or pier or wall that is to support the load and it should transfer in a relatively straight or vertical line. Most carpenters or builders really don't know much about load transfer because they build the home according to a blueprint and therefore they are not involved with the design of the load capacities. You really need to talk to your architect or engineer-If you purchased prints from a bokk or something similar, then talk to the truss engineer at the very least. If you can get a engineer of equal to sign off on the move, then I'm pretty sure that your builder will not have a problem with moving the wall. The problem is that the responsibility ultimately falls on the builder or general contractors shoulders, and he isn't trained in load. Hope it helps and good luck
 
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Old 08-20-07, 01:00 PM
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Thanks, I did do a bit of research into trusses. This one is labeled on the blueprints as a 3 point bearing common truss. The internal bearing point is about 16 from the closer exterior bearing point. That exterior bearing point rests on a similar wall layout (i.e. with a doorway too)

Doesn't seem like the truss would need bearing points so close to each other. In addition, that end of the truss isn't supporting roofing materials (the common trusses over the garage do that over there.)

Anyway your right, it seems people are going to be very conservative on moving walls and don't seem to examine the issues very much.
 
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Old 08-20-07, 02:10 PM
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nobody in this forum has enough info to answer your question accurately. somebody who understands your house framing needs to look into it and decide if it is okay or not.

Now is the time to look into it, if you wait until the house is under construction, it is too late.
 
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Old 08-20-07, 07:14 PM
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talk to your builder and see who you guys are getting your trusses fron because the truss manufacturer can design the truss however you want it to support the load. Like I said before trusses can be designed so that all the load goes to the outside walls with no inside load. If you give your blueprint to the truss manufacturer, and don't tell him you changed the print, then there will be a problem. I would talk to him and find out your options first before you do anything.
 
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Old 08-22-07, 07:54 AM
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A structural engineer is recommended to determine how the house is constructed, whether or not the wall is loading bearing, the amount of weight it supports, whether or not the wall can be moved, and how to compensate for the amount of weight supported by the wall if it is moved. Any changes to structure will require a building permit and a submission of plans. What is important is that the job is done correctly and safely and does not result in damage to structure or its collapse.
 
 

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