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josh_dearborn

Determine Load Bearing Wall?

2 years ago

Hello All, I am hoping to remove this section of entry way wall and am wondering if there is any way to determine if it is load bearing by just looking at it, along with the foundation plans? I see the wall lines up with part of the foundation, is it a rule of thumb anytime a wall resides on foundation it is load bearing? Wall is 4.5 Inches thick. 2 story home, this is on main level, crawlspace below.

Highlighted in Yellow is the desired wall to remove. Also photo attached of the wall section.

Thank you!




Comments (4)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Load bearing is typically more concerned with what way the trusses ceiling joists run. Your attic/crawlspace or roofline might get you the answer you're looking for.

    Do the joists/trusses run parallel (non-load bearing) or perpendicular (likely load bearing)?

  • 2 years ago

    Highly unlikely that wall is load bearing but worst case scenario the load can be easily transferred to other walls.

  • 2 years ago

    I really believe it's a load bearing wall based on the foundation drawings. Looking at the drawings you have a complicated floor plan and if it wasn't load bearing they would not of put a foundation underneath to support just the one first floor wall. I'd say the joists/trusses above change direction based on design so even if a floor above wasn't sitting directly on the wall below you want to remove it could still be very much responsible for holding up the ceiling joists/floor trusses (depending on a second floor or not.

    Do you have the layers for the second floor plan, floor joist layout and roof truss layout? It's not a simple home someone could figure out load bearing walls by looking in the attic and need all the framing layers to know for sure. floor trusses and roof trusses are designed to utilize the least amount of lumber and use every potential load carrier point they can to do it. Dumping the little extra cement under that wall in the floor tells me they used it to carry a load, I'll bet my Holiday Inn degree on it.


  • 2 years ago

    Thank you all for your ideas and reccomendations. I figured it would be very challenging to identify just from looking at pictures. I will crawl below and above to look at the direction of joists and trusses.