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        posted
        how can you tell what is a low bearing wall,and wich walls hold up the house
         
        Posts: 6 | Location: pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 23, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
        posted Hide Post
        Bearing walls generally run perpendicular to the rafter/ceiling joist. If you have access to the attic you can see which way the rafter/ceiling joist run and posssibly where the wall is at in relationship to those.
         
        Posts: 1606 | Location: Applachain | Registered: Feb 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
        posted Hide Post
        You mean a "load" bearing wall. Telling what is one of those can be tricky. Looking at the framing can tell you what is load bearing, but that's probably hidden by drywall. So you may have to remove some drywall.
        You can also tell by the roof framing, maybe.
        You can also tell by any support structures you may have in a basement, if you have one. On a slab floor, you can't tell just by looking at it.
        Or you can tell by framing supports in a crawlspace.

        But you have to have knowledge of framing and roofing and etc etc to know what you're looking it. If it's a short wall with no real heavy pieces of lumber, then it's probably not a support wall. But you should pay someone knowledgeable to come and look at what you have in mind. Trying to get free help may be more costly than its worth.

        This message has been edited. Last edited by: Re-mdlr,
         
        Posts: 696 | Location: No. California | Registered: Mar 24, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
        posted Hide Post
        there ARE houses where there are a number of little stub walls here and there, where there is no notable load-bearing wall.

        in which case, those little wall-lets ARE the load bearing wall, and there had better be extra joist and truss construction above and below to move the weight onto those stubs.

        not common residentially, but when it's there, they spent a bunch more money on structure than if they had run a visible header or a standard load bearing wall down the middle.


        sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
         
        Posts: 4689 | Location: North Burbs, MN | Registered: Mar 14, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
        posted Hide Post
        where and what do headers do above a new french doors i want to install when i cut out a old window
         
        Posts: 6 | Location: pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 23, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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