Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [load-bearing]

A load bearing wall supports the structure above it, and thus cannot be removed without replacing that support. Use with the [walls] tag

A load bearing wall holds up the ceiling or floor above it (i.e. it is a structural wall). Sometimes this means you must beef up the structure to replace it. In some cases, it means the wall cannot be removed at all.

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Are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?

Other than looking up blueprints, which many homeowners may not have, are there ways to determine if a wall is load bearing?
Doresoom
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Is this cracking foundation under a jack post a problem that requires repair?

I am buying an already-built new home. I find this in the basement. The builder says it's okay, but I am really concerned. Is this really a big issue? What steps would be required to repair it? This house is close to the retention pond. Is that the…
John
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Is this a load bearing column?

I’m trying to determine if a column in my house is load bearing. It’s at the corner of 2 pony walls and if it isn’t we might take out the column and the pony wall. There’s an extension of the 2nd floor hall above it, and it looks like directly…
StockTsi
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Is it unsafe to remove one stud from a load bearing wall?

I need to cut a hole for a recessed medicine cabinet. This wall is at the end of the house. I only need to cut one stud to make a frame for the cabinet. Will this damage the integrity of the bearing wall?
Sonia Leon
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How to calculate the maximum safe load on a horizontal wooden beam?

I am thinking of constructing a wooden bed/desk/roof/shed/ship/bridge/rocket How can I calculate the maximum load a rectangular horizontal wooden beam of dimensions L x H x W can safely support if the beam is adequately supported at both…
RedGrittyBrick
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Contractor cut joist hangers to make them fit

(edited with additional info re. header) We are removing a couple of load bearing walls as part of renos in our home. The engineer specified a W8x21steel beam to replace the load bearing wall. The floor joists are 2x10. It appears the contractor…
user105375
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Why mate two boards instead of using one thicker board?

I need to build a footbridge across a creek and, due to soft and low land around it, will need a long span crossing the creek. I found this tutorial by Ron Hazelton where he makes a bridge with a 12' span with two beams supporting it, with supports…
Tango
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I think my electrician compromised a loadbearing stud

I contracted a company to remove a closet partitioning wall along with a header and a few small pieces. That work was all approved by a structural engineer in an official report. However, I was also having the company install a power outlet in the…
Kyle
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Can I remove a wall stud to install a pet door?

We only have one option for a wall that the pet door would go in. After measuring we found that the door would have to go right in the middle of a stud. Is it safe to cut through the stud?
Mary mcintire
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Should I be concerned about the structural integrity of this 100-year-old garage?

I had an aunt who lived in a house that was built in 1923 and its detached garage was also built in 1923. I am in the process of fixing up both this house and the garage before the house is put for sale on the housing market. All the outer walls of…
user169255
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Will my wooden bridge withstand the weight of my small truck?

I am building a bridge across a small stream. I have 3 hemlock planks that are 24 feet long, and are 6 inches by 4 inches in dimension. The hemlock planks are positioned so that the 6 inch sides are vertical, and the 4 inch sides are horizontal. The…
Richard Price
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Can I modify a load bearing triple stud?

I am installing a small safe in a wall and when I cut the opening in the drywall I noticed that the studs were in an unusual distribution. The stud on the right was normal but then there were multiple studs on the left - obviously a support column…
b-p
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Proper size of header to support new door in load bearing wall?

We're going to install a new linen closet off the hallway next to our recently(ish) remodeled bathroom. The wall in question is load bearing. I know how to properly build out the King and Jack studs, and if this weren't load bearing I'd just put in…
The Evil Greebo
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How can I locate a shower valve in a load bearing wall?

I have gutted my bathroom down to the studs, and I want to put a shower mixing valve directly where the red X is. The problem is that board outlined in red is load bearing for the staircase landing behind that wall. I assume I can't cut out a…
ACD
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What is the purpose of horizontal blocks on a bearing wall?

In my basement, the bearing wall has horizontal blocks between each stud, similar to what you see in this picture: . There is one place on the wall where one of the blocks was removed to place an electrical box, and another in the bathroom rough-in…
Eric Andres
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