Question about removing trim wall in foyer
I am in the process of remodeling the foyer of my 1964 ranch. One of the wonderful pieces of modern (1964) carpentry on display there is a louvered trim wall separating the foyer from the living room. The trim wall is constructed of 4 vertical 2x4 with a louvered panel between each 2x4. I want to remove these wall pieces and build two pony walls to open the foyer to the living room. My paranoid side wants me to make sure that there is no possible way these trim walls could be load bearing. Above the wall is a header system built using 6" vertical pieces of 2x4, and then two horizontal 2x6 nailed together. The total length of the header is 10 feet. Each trim wall is about 3' in length, which means the opening to the living room is around 4 ft. The header and trim walls run parallel with the ceiling joists. What really makes me think these are in no way load bearing is that between this header and the trim wall is 1/2" drywall. Yes, this means that they must have framed in the header, then drywalled, mudded the seams, and painted all before installing the trim wall. To me this clearly means this trim wall can't be load bearing and thus can easily be removed. Any opinions?
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