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Bearing wall, HELP me please

4K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  DangerMouse 
#1 ·
I am removing a small closet from the kitchen, about 2'X3' in size. It is in the corner, it joins up with a interior wall that I know is bearing and the other side joins to a exterior wall. The closet had a small 28" or so door way on it, standard interor hollow door. Walls were plaster over drywall.

I have most of the closet ripped out, and I saw the header above where the door was, I expcted it to be just 2 - 2x4's nailed together, however, it is 2-2x6 boards nailed together.

I can't imagine how or why this small closet would be load bearing, but I don't know why they used 2x6 for the header if it isn't load bearing.

I can't see how it would bear much weight, the closet was only 23.5 inchs deep and the wall behind it is bearing, the joists above it are 2x10, 16" on center that I am sure lay on top of the bearing wall. The rest of the room runs right to that bearing wall.

I will take a photo and post it in a second.

Jamie
 
#4 ·
If you have access to the structure above look there. That should tell you if the 2x6's are important to the house.

If you can't get in there then pull out the ceiling to see if you can see if there is something resting on the 2x6's.
 
#5 ·
If you have access to the structure above look there. That should tell you if the 2x6's are important to the house.

If you can't get in there then pull out the ceiling to see if you can see if there is something resting on the 2x6's.
Cool. Thanks guys. I was able to see in there, and the joists join above the load bearing wall, so I am sure there would not be a break in the joists 2 feet further out above the closet, There is insulation directly above the closet door, but there would have been no reason to break the joists just 2 feet from the main bearing wall.

I used to think demolition work was the best part of remodeling. After gutting this kitchen, I think I like electrical work better. :)

Jamie
 
#6 ·
One time i was building a house and just had the sub floor down, when a tornado dropped some tree's on it.
I had lots of damaged floor joists that had to be replaced.
So when I was framing lintel's, I used 2X8's all through the house. For any openings, including windows.
Lintel material can be over-sized, and isn't necessarily indicative of its function.
 
#7 ·
One time i was building a house and just had the sub floor down, when a tornado dropped some tree's on it.
I had lots of damaged floor joists that had to be replaced.
So when I was framing lintel's, I used 2X8's all through the house. For any openings, including windows.
Lintel material can be over-sized, and isn't necessarily indicative of its function.
That must have been it, they just had them lying around or something. I can see the joists, and they did not rest on the closet wall at all. They are all continous to the bearing wall.

Sorry for the paniced post here, I was just really thrown off when I saw those 2x6 headers. I thought I would be the last person to post a message like this, because I always think it is so hard to give people answers to this type of question, but I guess it was a bit more stright forward in my case then it is in many of the "can I remove this wall" type of questions.

Thanks again, and sorry for the panic.

Jamie
 
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