# framing, expanding wall opening wall - load bearing?



## redline (Mar 5, 2006)

Which way do the ceiling joists run above this section?


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## redline (Mar 5, 2006)

nave said:


> ... however, there are no trim studs supporting it! They are merely just nailed into the king studs.


There seems to be jack (trim) studs you just have not removed the drywall enough to reveal them.


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## nave (Jan 22, 2008)

thanks for the quick reply redline.
I peeled back the drywall a bit more to see if there were jack studs and attached a new pic. It looks like there are no jack studs supporting that header, which spans about 4 feet. What do you make of that?

In another part of the home, the joists are perpendicular to this wall so I assume they are in this area too. So that doesn't help much in determining if its load bearing or not. But with no jack studs on that header, and no walls above or below this wall on other floors, I'm thinking its not load bearing, and when I expand the window, I can just frame it in with 2x4's.

Thanks for your reply.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Please realize, that just because there is no structural header in that location, does not necessarily mean that there shouldn't be.
Houses can be improperly butchered over time, by previous home owners or unqualified people that they hired.

If you are positive that this is not a load bearing wall...then great.

(BTW: The supporting stud in a structural header is called a "Jack Stud")

Good Luck on your project.


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## nave (Jan 22, 2008)

*load bearing wall? - perpendicular strapping*

I took off all the drywall to see the header with no jack studs. There are no joists perpendicular to this wall but there are 2x4's running perpendicular to it with angled supports as joists. What are these things???? What is their span?

No jack studs on that header make me think its not load bearing. Plus, no walls above or below it on other levels. But it does run perpendicular to the constructed beams.

Planning on enlarging this window and framing it in simply with 2x4's if its not load bearing. If its load bearing, I'll have to use a proper header.


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