How Do You Find A Load Bearing Wall?
Finding a load bearing wall in a residential home is actually quite easy, but to find a non-load bearing wall can be a difficult thing to do. You will seldom find that a wall is not load bearing. This is because modern framing uses the stick framing method. Each level of a building is built on the previous level. Each level is held up by the studs or “sticks.” All exterior walls are load bearing. Most interior walls are load bearing, even if only pertaining to the strength of the building’s ability to withstand sway under a load. Another type of framing, balloon framing will typically have non-load bearing interior partitions. In this type of framing, the exterior walls will span the height of the structure. The second sub floor and every one thereafter is connected to the exterior walls; although, this is not an economical style of framing and is rarely used. No matter the type of structure of your home, here are the steps to take when searching for load bearing (or non-load bearing)
