Identifying Load Bearing Wall Attic

1 the noise that the wall makes when you knock on it.

Identifying load bearing wall attic.

Due to the triangular shape of all but. The primary bearing walls in most homes are the exterior walls. A structural wall actually carries the weight of your house from the roof and upper floors. If there is another wall a floor with perpendicular joists or other heavy construction above it it is probably a load bearing wall.

A bearing wall is one which supports the structure of the house. The floors above roof structure people and furniture are the loads that the wall has to support. Use the following steps to identify a load bearing wall. A load bearing wall transfers load all the way down to the building s foundation.

If the wall in. How to identify a load bearing wall understand the structure. In a house that has an unfinished basement or easily accessible wall finding the beams. Look for extra wall support.

Start at the foundation. 2 the thickness of the wall. But if the wall runs perpendicular at a 90 degree angle to the joists there is a good chance that it is load bearing. Larger houses have more interior bearing walls because the spans are greater between the exterior walls.

However there are cases where a bearing wall is parallel to the joists. Hitting the wall. Load bearing walls typically run in the same direction. 2 look inside the attic if possible to identify the direction in which the rafters or joists travel.

Generally when the wall in question runs parallel to the floor joists above it is not a load bearing wall. 3 the direction of beams and joists. However if there is an unfinished space like an empty attic without a full floor the wall probably is not bearing a load. Look at the floor joists.

Take a peek at the instructions on how your house was built. However weird this may seem you should knock lightly on. 5 check for internal walls near the center of the house. If there is chances are the walls are load bearing.

Check the joists or rafters in your basement or attic. If they run parallel it s probably not. If they run perpendicular to the wall in question it s almost certainly a bearing wall. Reinforcement posts and columns are.

While the joists and beams of your home are a good start to identify load bearing walls there are other options. There are secondary interior bearing walls which support a second floor or the attic above the first floor. 4 the presence of.