[Ryce Drillip]

Hi all,

There's a wall, parallel to the floor joists, in my single story house that I'd like to remove. The wall is just south of where the hip roof transitions from full width, east to west spanning trusses and ceiling joists that run north to south. The north to south ceiling joists run across the top plate of the wall and are toe-nailed to it. The very southern end of the roof is over an attached garage, but its width is different from that of the house and so the roof structure on the south end of the house and above the wall is a bit complicated. There is a slight jog in the ridge and also a stairwell to the basement. Could this wall that I'd like to remove have weight on it? The wall has a double floor joist underneath it that butts into the structure of the stairwell.

 

[stick\shift]

Typically walls parallel to the joists are not bearing. Are you able to take a picture of the structure at the top of the wall - does it have a double top plate?

 

[Ryce Drillip]

Yeah, the ceiling joists toe nailed to the top plate got me wondering. And there are other walls in the house that are parallel to the floor joists, but under the trusses, and they don't have double floor joists. Maybe that's just because these walls are shorter in length.

The drywall is still on, but I can check. My stud finder says no double top plate.

 

[Nealtw]

Yeah, the ceiling joists toe nailed to the top plate got me wondering. And there are other walls in the house that are parallel to the floor joists, but under the trusses, and they don't have double floor joists. Maybe that's just because these walls are shorter in length.

The drywall is still on, but I can check. My stud finder says no double top plate.

Do you have trusses or rafters, with trusses the ceiling is part of the truss and is hanging from a girder truss.
Do the ceiling joist just end on this wall?

 

[Ryce Drillip]

Here's a shot looking north. The wall is parallel to those trusses in the background but just south of the first truss.

From south to north over the house are the hip rafters (in the foreground) and then the trusses (in the background) and then the other hip rafters on the north.

The 2x6 ceiling joists don't end on the top plate of the wall. I think they continue to the first truss and butt into the truss.

 

[carpdad]

There's not enough info. Not sure if you know the difference between "truss" and standard framing. The attic photo shows framing, NOT truss. Not sure what you mean joists. There are floor and ceiling joists.
Framing next to stairs, usual will have the joist perpendicular to stairwell. Yours go parellel which could mean any wall underneath could be supporting the joists. Maybe you need a carpenter to see them.

 

[Ryce Drillip]

Here's a photo of the hip roof structure over my garage, it is very similar to the structure of the house roof over the wall in question. The added red line is the approximate location of where the wall is located in the attic above the house.

Here's a photo of the similar area in the house.

I feel better about the wall not having any weight on it. The ceiling joists butt to the truss with a small ledger and are very close, approximately a foot, from where the wall is. The ceiling joist span is about 13ft. for the 2x8's (not 2x6's).

Is there anything else I can check to provide more certainty? I mean, how do the structural engineers do it? Thanks all.

 

[Nealtw]

So you have a mix you have trusses for the main structure and then they hand framed the hip.
I would say the wall is bearing unless you find an engineer that says it isn't.
I can explain why if you need it.

 

[Ryce Drillip]

Yeah, please, I'm curious.

 

[Ryce Drillip]

A structural engineer took a look at the wall that I'd like to remove. He confirmed that it is not load bearing. He said that the north-south ceiling joists (2x8's) that run across the top of the wall span their distance from an exterior wall to the first east west truss which is a doubled up 2x4 truss.

A had a separate question I was hoping for some input on. I'd like to enlarge a window on an exterior wall of this hip roofed house. How do I temporarily support the roof while I put in a new header? The 2x8 ceiling joists are parallel to the exterior wall with the window. There are 2x4's, however, that run for about 2 feet from the first 2x8 ceiling joist to the exterior wall top plate, but I think they are basically drywall nailers.

 

[3onthetree]

If you are only widening the opening to only a 3' or 4' width you shouldn't have to worry about supporting the roof, as long as you don't let it sit demo'd for weeks. If you are putting in a 12' bifold door then you should support the roof.

 

[Ryce Drillip]

Thanks 3on. The opening is about 3' now and I'd like to increase it to 5'. 2 2-8's as the header should work. It seems like for support I could run braces to the top plate at an angle from the floor or attach a 2x10 longer than my opening to the top plate and some studs and brace that vertically to the floor.

 

[Ryce Drillip]

or not worry about it