I read the previous posts on this subject and am more confused now! I am looking to turn a six foot section of wall, separating my kitchen from the foyer hallway, into a 1/2 wall on the middle story of my 3 story townhouse. I have done some investigating as suggested to determine if the wall is load bearing or not and have found that:
-there are 3 steel beams spanning the width of the house, parallel to the front and back of the house approx 12-15 feet apart.
-the floor joists are 2" x 8", spaced 24" apart. They span the distance between the steel beams and run parallel to the wall in question. The sub-floor is constructed of 3/4" plywood
-the wall is constructed of 2 x 4 and drywall and does have a jack stud on each end.
-there is not a wall directly above this wall. There was a 12' - 22' bedroom directly above the space. I have previously framed a and finished a 12' wall and added a door to create 2 bedrooms from the 1. The wall is about 4' to one side of the wall I would like 2 take down.
I don't have any problem leaving a post on 1 end of the wall if needed. It may even prevent me from having to relocate electrical switch for kitchen light. I would rather not install a header unless absolutely unnecessary.
We need a framer here to better answer however since you say this wall is running WITH the joists the odds are it is not bearing.Thats my OPINION only dont take it to the bank yet.I sure hope that wall you added was put very close to or over a joist and not in the center of a 24" span:whistling2:
JackM
Thanks for the info. I screwed the wall that I built through the sub-floor and into the floor joist below. Ditto for the attic joist
above. I have also read that parallel alone does not always mean non-load bearing?
It's all opened up now am I am 99% sure that it is not load bearing. What appeared to be a jack stud on the end was actually 1 2x4 with a 2' section attached to it to space the wall switch away from the corner. I also found that each stud has a 1/2 stud attached to it that only runs 3 1/2' up the stud. Is this typically how a 1/2 wall is framed?
a "half", commonly called knee wall is framed that way but better :}
once you decide the height of the knee wall, you use a double plate at top,single plate on floor and the appropriate height cripples in between.
IE: a 42" kneewall; top plates = 3" bottom = 1 1/2 so you subtract 4 1/2" from ur 42 and 37 1/2" are your cripples. I always double jack both ends for a bit better support.
As long a a beam is parallel to the direction of the joists it is almost always non-bearing. To be bearing a wall or beam has to be 90 to the load so that it will carry it. Accross the joists.
It won't be load bearing if directly above it there are no other partition walls. Use a stud sensor on the ceiling just to verify the direction of the floor joists, that they are parallel with the wall you're removing.
FYI - if it was on the top floor it could be weight bearing depending on the roof construction, like a hip roof built with trusses.
In thought I agree with you all here regarding the prallel vs perpendicular wall to joist. Question though, in my home the basement joists run perpendicular to the second floor joists and the attic (second floor and attic run the same way). It makes sense in my head but how would you ever tell which was load bearing using that rule of thumb? Is it common for joists to run different directions from floor to florr? And Are we assuming load bearing means perpendicular to the floor below it?
Is it common for joists to run different directions from floor to florr?
Not usually. The most common pattern is with all joists and trusses running the same direction.
And Are we assuming load bearing means perpendicular to the floor below it?
No. load bearing is always based on what's above it, typically perpendicular, but if you have a load bearing wall parallel with the joists, then there has to be a specified header directly beneath that wall - in most cases it's a doubled floor joists.
Roof trusses are most commonly engineered to be bearing on the outside walls, so technically all the interior walls on the floor beneath the trusses would not be weight bearing.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DIY Home Improvement Forum
3.1M posts
319.5K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to Do it yourself-ers and home improvement enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about tools, projects, builds, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Helping You to Do It Yourself!