Looking to expand home and need to cut down some walls

[Elizabeth Lynn]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in expanding in my home and need to cut down some walls but I want to avoid cutting down load-bearing walls. Does anyone have advice or experience in doing this?

 

[user 4883]

rule of thumb is that any walls running perpendicular to the ceiling joists are to be considered "load bearing". However, due to some clever engineering, this may sometimes apply to walls running paralell to the ceiling joists. Contact a structural engineer for a definitive answer in your particular case.

 

[Snoonyb]

Here is some info, with a link;

If you have a basement with a center support beam and this wall occurs above above that beam, either parallel or perpendicular with the floor joists, it could be load bearing.

If your house is single story, in the attic, if the ceiling joists continue over it, end over it, are spliced over it, or you have roof bracing landing on it, It's a bearing wall. If the ceiling joist are parallel with the wall and you have roof bracing landing on it, It's a bearing wall.

If there is a 2nd floor above the wall, you have two options. You can remove a section of ceiling on both sides of the wall to determine if the 2nd floor, floor joists, cross it or end over it. If so, Its load bearing. Or you can use a stud finder to determine the location and direction of the joists.

Here is a link that should be of assistance;

http://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standa...-WCD1-ConventionalWoodFrame-ViewOnly-0107.pdf

Illegitimas non-carborundum

 

[Elizabeth Lynn]

Thanks guys for your help! I appreciate it. I'm planning to contact an engineer to make sure the job is done correctly.