Is this wall loadbearing?

Hey all,
I'm planning to open up a kitchen wall and I'd like determine if it is a load bearing wall.

The wall runs parallel to the ceiling joists, so I first assumed it would not be an issue. In the attic, there are vertical supports (pictured in the center of image1.jpg) that appear to support the rafters. The supports are borne on top of the wall I want to take out, not the joists that run parallel to the wall in question.

It looks like the supports are sitting on top of a double top plate (see image2.jpg).

I'm assuming I'd need to transfer their load to something, maybe a plate on top of the joists? If so, does it need to be anything more than 2x4?

Thanks

You could check under the kitchen to see if the wall is bearing to the foundation. Even if it is not load bearing wall there is a load there that maybe supported by the kitchen floor. You might be able to install collar ties and remove the uprights but that would have to be designed by someone that can figure all the loads and answer all the questions. If it is a load bearing wall you could install a beam even in the attic but then that should be sized by someone that can figure all the loads.
Engineer.

As the arrows indicate, it appears your wall's top plate is carrying load from the roof. Simply removing the wall could be a problem.

You can install a header to redistribute the load. You should brace the ceiling to prevent sagging, install jack stud or even 4x4 framing members to pickup the vertical load then install the header. a simple span without weight load is easy ... in your case, load calculations are needed to dimension the header (length allowed and size of header).

Hi thanks for the responses/ideas. CallMeVilla, the members I'm talking about are pictured in the *center* of that first image, further away from that POV. When I dug into the cellulose at their base that's where I took the 2nd image--the kitchen & LR drywall is the beige/brown on either side of that double to plate.

The top plate (in image2.jpg) is under & not touching the perpendicular member you pointed at with the arrow.

keepitfunky said:

The top plate (in image2.jpg) is under & not touching the perpendicular member you pointed at with the arrow.

Click to expand...

If it is not touching the top of the wall what is it sitting on?

How many ft of wall do you want to remove and how many knee studs will be affected?
Is there a bearing wall under the other set of knee studs by the chimney?
A bearing wall would be supported in the basement of crawlspace too.

Time for some x-ray vision! I've drawn the wall that's obviously load bearing in blue. The joists are yellow. The wall in red, is the one I want to take out. It would become a 13' span.

The red wall has a double top plate with the three knee studs (indicated by arrows) sitting on top of it.
nealtw, is the reverse true, that if there's nothing in the crawlspace supporting the red wall, then it's not load bearing?

keepitfunky said:

Time for some x-ray vision! I've drawn the wall that's obviously load bearing in blue. The joists are yellow. The wall in red, is the one I want to take out. It would become a 13' span.

The red wall has a double top plate with the three knee studs (indicated by arrows) sitting on top of it.
nealtw, is the reverse true, that if there's nothing in the crawlspace supporting the red wall, then it's not load bearing?

Click to expand...

Yes that is right unless there is a beam in the crawspace to carry the load to somewhere else it woulod not be load bearing.

I don't think I was alone thinking the knees to the right in the photo were what you were talking about. The problem that most of have here is , we don't know how much load is placed on that wall and why it was placed on a non load bearing wall. It may not be much but a wall with drywall on both sides will disburse the load as the wall wants to stay square.
A beam would have reach from and to a load bearing wall. I suspect that would be a hell of a beam as it looks like 20 ft or close to it unless the wall to the right is also load bearing.

Struts may also be used as intermediate supports for rafters in pitched roofs. A 2 x 4 in. (38 x 89 mm) strut ( Fig. 57) is nailed to the side of each rafter and supported on a loadbearing partition. The angle of the struts should not be less than 45° to the horizontal.

Rafters which run at right angles to the ceiling joists may be supported at an intermediate point by a dwarf wall sitting on a beam placed between the ceiling joists. The underside of the beam is raised at least 1 in. (25 mm) above the ceiling finish by blocks inserted under the ends of the beam at the exterior walls and centre loadbearing partition. The space thus formed prevents the beam from damaging the ceiling finish when deflected at its centre by the roof load.
A beam similarly installed may also be used as intermediate support for hip and valley rafters. In this case, a roof strut is used to transfer the load from the hip or valley rafter to the beam.

Where intermediate support is required for a few rafters in the end section on a hip-type roof, a simple form of support can be provided by a beam (sometimes called a “strongback&#8221 consisting of two 2 x 4 in. (38 x 89 mm) members nailed together, set on edge and nailed to the bottom of the rafters. This beam is in turn supported at points along its length by 2 x 4 in. (38 x 89 mm) struts radiating from a common point of support on the centre loadbearing wall. The angle of any strut should not be less than 45° to the horizontal. The ends are cut to fit the selected angle and securely nailed in place.

I borrowed this from
http://www.hsh.k12.nf.ca/technology/cmhc/english/book/ch12/a/02/index.htm

nealtw, that 2nd paragraph sounds like what's happening here. Right now those knee struts come down onto the top plate between joists.
Is it sufficient to either shorten & move them over 8" to where they would sit on top of the a joist?
Or can I make a 2x4 brace that spans two joists at each point a strut comes down?

Thanks so much for the help!

They say you need a beam between two bearing walls. I am relunctent to suggest anything because we usually work with engineered trusses and when we hand frame like this, it is as the engineer dictates so I have experience but not the required knowledge. If you can reach two bearing walls with 2 2x10s either in the attic or in place of the wall down stairs no more tha 14 ft, I would think you would be good.

Any update on this as I am thinking of doing something similar.

I will create a new post.