How To Replace Load Bearing Exterior Wall And Roof Rafters

Ceiling joists that meet over the wall indicate that it s a bearing wall.

How to replace load bearing exterior wall and roof rafters.

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. Load bearing walls support the weight of a floor or roof structure above and are so named because they bear a load. There are two ways to accomplish this.

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. Although they don t bear the full weight load of the roof the gable end walls are also typically load bearing and an interior wall running parallel to the roof ridge in the center of the building often bears a load from the ridge. It is carrying the weight of the ceiling. The best way to make small or cramped rooms larger is to remove a wall between adjoining rooms.

Adjustable steel columns also called lally columns or jack posts are the quickest and most effective way to add supports. 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. If the new stud is too short it will not support the plate and roof. If the new stud is too long it will push the top plate up and can affect the roof position.

Add 2 by 4 lumber to a 2 by 4 stud wall or 2 by 6 lumber for a 2 by 6 stud wall. Create an open kitchen dining area a larger living room or a huge master bedroom using basic framing techniques and standard materials. Line up the 12 inch mark on the. By contrast a non load bearing wall sometimes called a partition wall is responsible only for holding up itself.

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. Open up cramped rooms by replacing a wall with a load bearing beam.