Load bearing walls? How can I tell without hiring a contractor?

Question

I have an old Victorian house that I want to open up. As you walk into the front door there is a nice sized foyer that is virtually unused. The stirs are to the left alongside the outer wall. To the right are french doors that open up to the livingroom. This is the wall I would like to take down to conect the foyer and the living area. However, I don't know if it is a load bearing wall. How can I tell without hiring a contractor? We are able to to the work ourselves without one but just want to be safe. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

in this case you need to work from the ceiling down, poke your head into the attic and get an idea of what wall are holding the roof up...then work down from there.
usually one stairwell wall is against a bearing wall and the other, not.

as for removing walls just head them off and make arches that are conducive to the era of the home.
even if it is bearing, the new 4x10/12/14 0r 16 header can span the distance and hold the next story efficiently if studded properly. (e.g. jacks & kings sistered. )
try not to remove the old lathe as it acts as reinforcement for the remaining parts of the walls. replaster when complete.

Answer 2

While I would highly recommend that you hire a contractor or engineer to look at your situation (the little bit of money for an experienced professional is insurance), you can try this: overlap your floorplans to see if the wall runs all the way up to the attic space. If it does, good bet that its a load bearing wall. Also, how thick is the wall? Anything over a 2x4 stud is guaranteed to be a load bearing wall. Also, you may need to look in the space between the ceiling and the floor - if you see any transfer beams, then its a load bearing wall.

If I were you, I would pay a structural engineer about $200 in cash to come out and render an opinion. Remember that if you alter the structure of your home without expert and professional advise, your insurance may be null and void.

Answer 3

Well, at first, I would've said, head down to the basement to check how the joists are sitting, but for liability sake, you probably need to get an experienced contractor in to inspect things. The reason is, while older houses are easier than modern to identify load bearing walls, you never know how the 2nd and 3rd floor walls are set. Below is an article to consider.

I think it's worth it to pay someone to find out (whether it's a contractor or engineer), then go from there. Otherwise, you may be opening a hugely expensive can of worms.

Answer 4

if you can get into the attic and see, the load bearing wall will have braces nailed from its top plate to the roof joists. this means the wall is being used to help support the weight of the roof which in some instances can be very heavy. on a two story you will have to figer out where the lower wall is in relation to what is above it on the second story. and if you have a basement the same thing applies. if you cut through a load bearing wall install a "header" [two 2 by 12's sandwiching a 1\2 in piece of plywood] to keep you integrity in tack. brace under each end with multiple 2 by 4's nailed together.[or 2 by 6's] get some advice, even from Lowe's or home depot, and you will be off and running.

Answer 5

I think you just described A LOAD BEARING WALL as the one you want to take down. This is such a critical question, that it begs for you to hire a contractor if it's one that you have to ask.

The best part of hiring a QUALIFIED contractor is not only can he advise you on whether or not you are about to take down a load bearing wall, but he can also advise you of alternatives. You may be able to take it down as long as you replace it with enough support in the form of beams & columns.

You can hire the contractor to do only the work that you need him for, & complete the rest on your own.

I am remodelling a kitchen myself. I can do the plumbing, electrical, install cabinets, tile etc. But I've never installed a skylight before. I have decided to call in a contractor to put in the skylight, & frame it in for me as well. I can do the finish work.
I think it's worth it, because there's nothing uglier than a skylight installation that leaks.

For you, bringing in a contractor on such a critical issue (structural) will be well worth it in the long run.
Good luck.