# Please Help. Is this a load bearing wall? (wall opened up)



## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

Just about to start the demo of my kitchen and I was looking to see what people thought about my archway being load bearing. I originally posted about this wall here without any drywall removed:

http://www.diychatroom.com/f15/remodeling-kitchen-wall-must-go-197970/

Now that I have the wall opened up I was hoping I could get some input. Thanks in advance


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)




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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)




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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

Impossible to tell from those pics. We need to see what is above the header.


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## Jnaas2 (Mar 29, 2014)

Going by the size of the beam over the door I would say yes, Most older homes on walls built without a load on them were usually 2 2x4


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

also...

My house is a cape so it has two roofs perpendicular to each other. 

[Imgur](imgur: the simple image sharer)

The wall is under the right roof and the wall runs parallel with the trusses I can see when I look in the attic. Obviously that means that the wall runs perpendicular to the other roof but the roof thats over it it runs parallel to. 

Thanks for your input.


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

sorry imgur link messed up


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

So i opened up the ceiling on the other side of the archway and took some pictures. The floor joists definitely run parallel to the archway.

Picture of the holes. Where I left the plaster is a joist and the other end of the long hole is another joist. These holes are on the other side of the archway from where i took the original pictures so closer to the window from the first pics. 










Then I took some pictures from the small hole inside the ceiling/2nd floor (closest to the archway):










I measured the joists and they seem to be 15.5 in on center which would mean that the left joist would fall within the archway which i believe is what you can see on the left side of that last picture. 

Last picture is looking towards the short side wall and got this:










Pushed on the metal and it sounds like sheet metal most likely a heating duct. 

Thanks again for your input.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

You must open the ceiling on the kitchen side as well against the header. Opposite side may run with the header, but that is not a guarantee. Sorry but I didn't read your post completely. Were you able to confirm the joist across the header?

The sheet metal may be there, using the bay as a duct. I think this is now against some code.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

I am going to guess yes as a result of header plate.


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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

When in doubt, treat it as a bearing wall. Need to know what is directly over/on the wall to be sure.


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

So I opened the ceiling and wall up a little more and took some more pictures. (IMGUR ALBUM AT BOTTOM OF POST) Good news is the floor joists are parallel to the archway on both sides. There is one joist directly on top of the archway. If this wall is doing any supporting it could only really be supporting this single joist right. I guess what is perplexing me is that fact that the joist is resting on top of the top plate of the wall and there doesn't actually appear to be any pressure on the jack/header part of the wall. I'm going to include as many photos as possible. Hopefully they are clear enough. I'm thinking i would just need to put blocks on each side of the joist (on either side of it on the wall plate) to make sure it doesn't go anywhere but it doesn't look lie the wall or jacks are doing much supporting if any. Please let me know what you think. The joist itself is about 7.5in from top plate to 2nd floor. Also there is a horizontal 2x4 in my wall with two boards perpendicular to it between it and the top plate that looks like they are doing some supporting of the top plate. Underneath that horizontal 2x4 is a gap then just looks like a stud that was cut short so I think that is just a jerry rigged stud and continuation of that stud above. Also after looking into the wall the sheet metal goes the whole way down that wall so I believe its a fire barrier between our interior and our garage (which is on the other side of that wall) rather than a duct. Sorry for the book. Any input would be greatly appreciated. 

IMGUR ALBUM:
http://imgur.com/a/pSnwv


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

Any more input???


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## taylorjm (Apr 11, 2013)

My vote is no, it's not load bearing. UNLESS there is a wall directly above that header that is holding up the roof and a wall or beam directly below the header transferring the load to the basement.


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

Well its done. Now its time to drywall...


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## taylorjm (Apr 11, 2013)

Open's things up nicely. So what was above and below that wall?


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## Whyjune1st (Dec 14, 2012)

Nothing really. Above it is in the middle of a very large closet and below it is in the middle of the same size workshop in the basement. No continuation of the wall above or below the ground floor and the wall ran parallel to the 2nd floor joists. Definitely not load bearing. Now I just have to learn how to drywall patch.


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## taylorjm (Apr 11, 2013)

Ugh. I hate drywall. 


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