What is a Bearing Wall?
Sometimes referred to as a load bearing wall, the bearing wall is a wall that not only supports its own weight within a building, but also the weight of other sections of the construction as well. Bearing walls are usually placed at strategic points within the structure in order to assure the building is strong and stable. Along with exterior walls, a bearing wall will help support a ceiling or roof and in the case of edifices with more than one story serves to support the floor of the next ascending story. The bearing wall helps to support the function of other building elements, such as floor joists and ceiling beams. While many types of buildings make use of those two elements to provide a degree of strength to the space, they are not considered to be enough for any building that occupies an appreciable amount of space. Even a small space of no more than a thousand square feet will be greatly enhanced by the presence of a bearing wall to help support a stable roofline and augment th
