I was looking for some insight on load bearing walls in my home. The home is a 1942 Center hall colonial. Approximately 35' wide and 25' deep. The exterior walls are all 18" thick stacked solid stone. All floor joists run long ways in the house. The basement has two steel I beams 7' apart in the center of the home running the 25' width and supported in the center of each by similar I beam column. All floor joists are same size 8"x3". In the basement the joists on the right side of the house are buried in stone foundation and span approximately 22', crossing over the first steel beam to the far beam. This occurs both in from and behind the stair stack. The joist on the left side span approximately 16', running from foundation wall to nearest beam. My question relates to the wall on 1st floor between center hall and dining room/wall between dining room and kitchen/ wall between kitchen and "nook". I assume the wall between center hall and dining room is load bearing since it is directly over a steel beam in basement. Currently a 5' opening, looking to leave that wall and open 2' wider. Any issues? Wall between dining room and kitchen is a wall I would like to remove for kitchen expansion. It runs parallel with floor joists so I assume that is not load bearing. Any issues? Wall between kitchen and nook is approximately 3' to the right of the beam. I have neighbors that do not have this wall (originally) with a wider kitchen (corner properties), so my assumption is that this is also not a load bearing wall. I've attached a rough diagram and some pictures of the beams and joists in basement. Any insight helps in my kitchen expansion planning process.
Jay4334
I thin I understand from rereading that you are talking about what is above that beam. If that is the case disregard my first comment. If its running parallel to the joists above it you are likely in the clear. There are situations where loads transfer though headers parallel to joists but that would be unlikely here.
No pictures of steel beam and 8"x3" wood floor joists are just for reference. It's a rough/quick floor plan of each floor. I'm looking to remove walls with scribble lines on 1st floor between Dining room and kitchen and between kitchen and nook. The left side of the dining room has wall with hash marks. It currently has a 5' wide cased opening, just looking to widen it about a foot in either direction
My next door neighbor just took down all three of the walls I mentioned, and said they were all just 2x3 framed walls. I cannot imagine the wall between dining and center hall not carrying a load being directly above one of the beams. Frankly, I'm worried he's going to have some scary support issues in the near future.
I certainly plan to bring in a structural engineer to make an official determination. With two toddlers and another little one on the way going to be occupying the rooms above, I am certainly taking the high road with this work. Just looking for some professional opinions to help with budgeting before we actually get the ball rolling.
Thanks.
Thanks.
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
