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Removing a wall with no ceiling joist above it

3K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  pyper 
#1 ·
Hi,

First post! =) I tried searching, but I couldn't come up with anything so here goes.

I would like to remove a wall that divides a living area and I've run into some things I hope I can get some feedback on.

Here is what I've found:
The wall runs parallel to the ceiling joists and doesn't have any other structures resting on it such as perlins. Everything looked good.

However...I noticed from the attic that there isn't a 2x6 ceiling joist above the wall where there normally would be (16" oc).

It looks like I would need to add in a ceiling joist since the wall was serving that function. Is there any other hidden functions that wall could be serving?

Also, another thing I observed is the rafter to one side of the wall is actually a 2x4 (the rafter to the left in the attached pictures) To that side, the room extends longer and that joist runs very close to the ridge of the roof, which I'm guessing is why its 2x4 rather than 2x6.

Likewise where the joist would be above the wall is in a tight spot. I actually even noticed that there once seemed to be a 2x4 above where the wall is currently, maybe on the initial framing. I see a small length of 2x4 left over (looks non-functional since its cut where it would go over the wall) adjoining to the 2x6 that extends to the opposite side of the house over the load bearing wall. Would a 2x4 be sufficient for the new ceiling joist? the span is 9'8" from wall to wall.

The area at the top of the picture where the new ceiling joist would attach to the top plate is really really tight. I'm not even sure I could reach it from the attic laying flat over the joists and extending my arm out to it. The roof is low pitch, making that corner area almost inaccessible. How would I even go about fastening that ceiling joist?
 

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#3 ·
What are the ceilings?

I'm guessing you either have plaster lath or bead board or some other material that is nailed to the top of your wall. To take it out, you would need to cut it the whole length, then install a new joist through the opening you just made, and patch the ceiling.

There could be other possibilities though, and some pictures from above (with insulation removed) would really help.
 
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