load bearing wall?

I want to tear a wall out, but I first want to be able to tell if it is load bearing. I have a ranch home. It has the main home part, a breaseway and a garage. All connected. The wall I am wanting to tear down is perpendicular to the main beam I the basement. The wall is connected to the back half of the house. I can post pics if it would help, but what are some things I should look for?

 

Welcome to the forums!

Are you able to look in the attic and see if there are trusses or if it's stick built?

 

Yes, I can get in the attic. What exactly do I need to look for? Just if there are trusses above that wall?

 

You'll look to see if the framwork in the attic runs parallel or perpendicular to the wall you want to remove. Trusses are manufactured and will have metal mending plates at intersections. We could use a few pictures of the project area as well. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...your-post.html

 

Here's a pic of the outside..

 

The wall.

 

The picture from the outside shows a window, while the one on the inside does not. Is it the same wall? If the outside wall is what you want to remove, then yes, it is load bearing. It can be done, but you need to build a false wall inside a foot or so to support the house while you have it down and install your header across your proposed opening.

 

In the attic... don't mind the mess.

The part that is circles is right above where the wall is that I want to tear down.

 

The part I circled showing the house - the wall is between the house and breaseway. Not the breaseway front door wall.

 

This is looking in the breaseway door from the outside showing the wall I want to tear down.

Would I need a header if the wall is not load bearing?

 

The wall with the double windows is a load bearing wall since it is actually the outside wall of the original house structure. How much of the wall are you wanting to remove? It will need a header, similarly to what I described in post #7. Did you ever determine if you have trusses in the attic or not. That may make a difference.

 

It looks as if it does have trusses. The outside wall is not the one I want to tear doen, but the one inside of the breaseway. Here is another shot of the attic.

 

This may help out a bit too...

 

Those aren't engineered trusses, but if the roof/attic framework isn't resting on the wall in question - then it isn't load bearing.

 

The wall you show in post #10 IS an outside wall. It was constructed as such when the original structure was built. The breezeway was added on it appears. Now it is INSIDE the breezeway, but for construction purposes it is load bearing. Clarify which wall you are referring to in post 10.

 

The one where the door is to the left. If you look at the video in post 13, it shows it in more detail.

 

In the video where I put my finger is where I want the wall knocked down to. From the ceilieng to that point. I want a 'half-wall'. Could I put a header from where the existing door header is all the way over to the other side of the wall?

 

OK, I didn't realize post 13 held a video. Yes, you would need to build a header to carry the load of the end of the house. You would need a post at the door and one at the outside wall to carry the load. Fill us in on the use of the half wall. Will it be for a serving bar, or similar?

 

Well, I plan on removing the door, so I'm saying the header that's over top of it, just remove it and build a new header?

Is this something doable if I've never built a header before? I'm decent at doing this kind of stuff, but the fact it is load bearing freaks me out some.


The half wall, I am not too sure yet, I believe it is to tall (from the breaseway) to become a serving bar, but that's ideally what I want, so it may just there.... or I may remove it and put a railing there or something. However, I'm not sure if I can because I have duct work in that wall.

 

The header is doable, but you really need to keep aware the end of your house is dependent on that wall. What is the total distance you will be cutting out of the wall, length wise?

 

The length of the wall I'm cutting is about 10 ft.