What is a Load-Bearing Wall?
Home construction necessitates that some walls within the house support the weight — or load — of both the upper floors and the roof itself. Therefore, any of the walls within your home are likely to be a load-bearing wall, or a wall that is holding and distributing the weight of anything above it. Identifying a load-bearing wall can be difficult since most walls look the same, and removing one from your home without replacing it with another load-bearing structure can be catastrophic. It is best to consult a structural expert to determine if a wall is load-bearing, but some basic steps can help you determine what to look for. Any exterior wall on a house will likely be a load-bearing wall, but not always. In some cases, only two of the exterior walls will be load-bearing, depending on the orientation, shape, and size of the roof. A load-bearing wall will transfer weight above it into the foundation below, so exterior walls are always good candidates to be weight-bearing. With exterior
