Replacing interior walls
#1
Replacing interior walls
I am wondering about replacing some interior walls on the inside of my home. I am going to be widening the bathrooms, lengthening the bedrooms and removing one room all together to make the other two rooms larger. I have a single load bearing wall where the bathrooms are for the upstairs of the home. I also have two small sections where the closets between the two rooms are that have support by the trusses. Do you think with the walls being only 30 inches or so in width, these wall sections would be load supporting? Can I replace the load bearing wall simply by moving it over two trusses and still get the support I need? I would appreciate any help I could get but I am doing this ALL myself and would rather not hire a contractor for simply consultation on load bearing walls.
Thanks for any help.
Thanks for any help.
#2
Load bearing wall
The only way to be safe and sure if a wall is loadbearing is to consult with a profesional. Contact your local building inspector for recommendations and permits required for making structural changes. Determining if a wall is loadbearing can be difficult for experienced carpenters. Take no chances with the structural integrity of your home.
#3
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I think a little clarity is in order from the webguru.. I am not a structural engineer, but I think that some trusses do not even need support. please clarify if the walls are paralell or perpendicular to the trusses? Do you only have trusses or joists and trusses? Is there any wall directly underneath this wall if it is upstairs? What is in the basement, if any,under this wall. What's in the attic weight wise? It is very difficult to picture this situation with the info provided. I can sympathize with webguru when he says he doesn't want to spring for the engineer. I wouldn't want to either.
#4
Not to threadjack, but, I have a similar situation. I'm pretty sure that a wall on my main level is supporting since it runs parallel to and sits directly over a steel beam in the basement that runs perpendicular to the floor joists.
This wall, which runs from the front of the house to the back, is floor to ceiling in two places, but only comes down 14" from the ceiling (and is 4.75" wide) in two others. Is there likely a beam in that 14" space? I wnt to remove one of the floor-to-ceiling portions.
This wall, which runs from the front of the house to the back, is floor to ceiling in two places, but only comes down 14" from the ceiling (and is 4.75" wide) in two others. Is there likely a beam in that 14" space? I wnt to remove one of the floor-to-ceiling portions.
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I am pretty sure that you could replace the section you are talking about but in this case a structural engineer, an architect, or a knowledgable contractor is a necessity IMO. You could need to add another 2x12 to the existing beam or maybe even a steel beam to span the 2 rooms. I am assuming the wall you want to remove is next to the beam if not probably the same beam configuration would suffice as long as it is supported properly in the basement. Again you need to talk with a pro. I would just get a few contractors in to see what they have to say before I contacted an architect or engineer
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if it is continuous[next to the existing beam] they will replace the whole beam with the appropriate size and material. If it is not continuous it will probably look like the existing beam. If you reply please tell more about the situation like where in relation to the existing beam is the wall you want to remove. Is it next to it, how long is it [approximately]. Is it on the end of the house or in the middle, what percentage of the wall is beam. To make it simple as I understand it you can remove all the walls and replace it with a beam if it is engineered correctly and supported properly from the ground up