How To Replace Load Bearing Exterior Wall And Roof Rafters

Load bearing walls support the weight of a floor or roof structure above and are so named because they bear a load.

How to replace load bearing exterior wall and roof rafters.

Create an open kitchen dining area a larger living room or a huge master bedroom using basic framing techniques and standard materials. Open up cramped rooms by replacing a wall with a load bearing beam. The outside walls are supporting the roof so they re bearing walls. Ceiling joists that meet over the wall indicate that it s a bearing wall.

If the new stud is too short it will not support the plate and roof. Use the same type lumber as the rotted studs. By contrast a non load bearing wall sometimes called a partition wall is responsible only for holding up itself. Adjustable steel columns also called lally columns or jack posts are the quickest and most effective way to add supports.

As an example on a 7 12 roof pitch line the 7 inch mark on the tongue of the framing square the thinner and shorter side on the inside top of the rafter board. In this roof design the exterior walls on which the roof s sloping rafters rest are load bearing walls. When you remove a load bearing wall you need to create a temporary support to bear the weight of the ceiling before removing the wall which will remain until the beam is fully in place. The best way to make small or cramped rooms larger is to remove a wall between adjoining rooms.

Matching the exact length of the studs is vital. If the new stud is too long it will push the top plate up and can affect the roof position. A beam directly under a wall usually means that it s a bearing wall whether the beam is in a crawl space basement or on the main floor. Lay a strip of 2x4s on the floor run another doubled up strip across the ceiling held in place with nails or screws then jack a pair of steel.

It is carrying the weight of the ceiling. Add 2 by 4 lumber to a 2 by 4 stud wall or 2 by 6 lumber for a 2 by 6 stud wall.