[Mkahl91]

Hey all, new to the forum hopefully I landed in the right place..
I plan on removing a small wall separating my kitchen and dining room. The kitchen is on the first floor of a 2 story home, which is on a slab(no basement). The wall is about 3 feet wide. This wall runs parallel to the joists in the ceiling above it. The small wall has a double 2x4 top plate. This top plate intersects with the exterior top plate with a lap joint, like in the attached diagram. The small wall/ top plate are directly under a joist in the ceiling. Since this wall is so small and parallel to the joists I assumed it was not load bearing. After seeing how it intersects with the exterior wall and being directly under a joist I’m not sure. Any info or links are appreciated. Thank you.

 

[chandler48]

The pictures of the "wall to be removed'" are a little off to me. Why is there insulation and that black cable in the picture? Have you already removed the refrigerator and cabinets?

 

[Mkahl91]

The pictures of the "wall to be removed'" are a little off to me. Why is there insulation and that black cable in the picture? Have you already removed the refrigerator and cabinets?

I removed a portion of the soffit above the refrigerator in order to get a look at the framing. That photo is taken from inside the soffit looking at the exterior wall. The insulation is in the soffit. The black wire travels to a light switch which would be moved when the wall is taken down. Hope this helps. Thanks for the reply

 

[Nealtw]

As long as the joist is one piece and has no joins over this wall you are good.
The lap joint is on all walls load bearing or not so that is not a concern. They just tie the walls together, You can just cut it off flush with the outside wall.

 

[chandler48]

I agree with Neal, but I just wanted to be sure we were talking about the same wall. You're good.

 

[Mkahl91]

Yes, the joist is one continuous piece. Thank you both for the info. Much appreciated

 

[HotRodx10]

I agree that it doesn't appear to be (vertical) load bearing. It appears to covered with just drywall, and if that is the case, then you're good to go.

If, however, you discover plywood sheathing on the wall or a diagonal brace in the wall, it may be functioning as a shear wall, so if you see that, I recommend you stop, post a picture, and get some input before proceeding.