🏡 Better Homes Is this wall load bearing?

[OffshoreDrilling]

I’m like 95% sure this wall is load bearing. Just the fact it’s got a double top plate says yes. What do you armchair engineers and architects think?

A little background:
Ive got a partial crawl space attached to my basement with a concrete wall about 4’ tall

The wall in question (blue) is built on top of the concrete wall. Previous owner knocked out studs in two different spots for larger access holes into the crawl.

There is a double joist (green) that bears on a steel beam (red) that the joists in the crawl are attached to. The floor joists also change direction at the double joist that bears on the beam. Yellow lines are joists/direction

I want to keep the openings so I can continue to use the crawl space for storage but floor is sagging upstairs. Probably going to end up tossing jacks and beams between the sections that were opened up, there isn’t enough space to build a header and have a usefully sized access into the crawl.

Click to read more...

 

[FESTER665]

Yes, load bearing IMO. Granted the green beams are carrying a ton of the load, I would definitely say that is load bearing based on it going across joists in that manner and going to the concrete wall.

Your height access is limited by that duct work it appears, so I would treat it like a door, jacks and beams to make it level, then maybe do a 2x6 header or 2x8 if it doesn't cut off access too much, some king studs and jack studs and you should be good as long as you're not trying to make the access point too large.

 

[GTPpower]

It shouldn't be load bearing. If it was, it would be directly under the green 2x's. However, it's tough to tell from the picture, but the green 2x's appear to be way undersized for the span they are supporting, which does mean that a lot of the load is transferring to the wall.

So basically, it's not supposed to be load bearing, but is in fact bearing load since the actual load bearing member isn't big enough.

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

This def looks like it's supporting those floor joists that run perpendicular to the blue wall

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

Send it

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

It shouldn't be load bearing. If it was, it would be directly under the green 2x's. However, it's tough to tell from the picture, but the green 2x's appear to be way undersized for the span they are supporting, which does mean that a lot of the load is transferring to the wall.

So basically, it's not supposed to be load bearing, but is in fact bearing load since the actual load bearing member isn't big enough.

The green joists span about 10’ either direction to outside wall and bearing on the beam in the center.

I think the only reason that the green is a double joist is because one is a floor joist and the other would be an end joist where they change directions.

They’re like this, the double is where the different directions meet up, and the wall in in question is to the left of where those meet

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Upgrading to 99% sure it’s load bearing from 95%. I’m going to treat it as such.

 

[Jon01]

I'm with GTPpower it's load bearing unintentionally.
If you want to open that up more get a piece of heavy wall steel 4x4 and a few floor jacks and let er rip.

 

[FESTER665]

Upgrading to 99% sure it’s load bearing from 95%. I’m going to treat it as such.

Years from now you're never going to be like "man, I really overbuilt that access area" so it doesnt hurt to treat it as such.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

I'm with GTPpower it's load bearing unintentionally.
If you want to open that up more get a piece of heavy wall steel 4x4 and a few floor jacks and let er rip.

I know it’s hard to figure shit out by pics but the floor joists bear on that wall, or they would only be supported by fasteners through the end joist.

Other think I thought about doing is using joist hangers over the sections cut out.

Years from now you're never going to be like "man, I really overbuilt that access area" so it doesnt hurt to treat it as such.

moreso did I need to spend $500 on steel and jacks or would $15 in 2x4s have done the job.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

Yeah, I'd definitely agree load bearing.

Or just knock the whole wall down and hope for the best.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Yeah, I'd definitely agree load bearing.

Or just knock the whole wall down and hope for the best.

Floor is fucked the two stories above that already anyways. Foyer tile is all busted up and the master on the second floor has a W shape directly over that beam.

 

[FESTER665]

I know it’s hard to figure shit out by pics but the floor joists bear on that wall, or they would only be supported by fasteners through the end joist.

Other think I thought about doing is using joist hangers over the sections cut out.

moreso did I need to spend $500 on steel and jacks or would $15 in 2x4s have done the job.

I wouldnt spend on steel in this instance at all, youre just making an access point for the crawl space, not supporting that entire floor across the entire span.

As i said earlier, treat it like a doorway, I would do a minimum 2x6 header, maybe a 2x8 if it doesnt cut off more room than that duct work does, and send it.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

So another question. Does anyone think joist hangers for the 2-3 floor joists that are unsupported would be enough or don’t even fuck around.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

I wouldnt spend on steel in this instance at all, youre just making an access point for the crawl space, not supporting that entire floor across the entire span.

As i said earlier, treat it like a doorway, I would do a minimum 2x6 header, maybe a 2x8 if it doesnt cut off more room than that duct work does, and send it.

The opening is only about 30” tall. Not much room after a header gets tossed in there.

There are two openings into the crawl, the one I’m taking pictures of I need to keep a decent sized access. The other one I’m going to jack the floor up and rebuild the wall. I’ve got another spot where there’s just a partition wall I can for sure open up without issue.

 

[FESTER665]

I would be doing both, but I tend to over-engineer most things.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

thanks for the insight guys

Even better than YouTube certified architects

 

[FESTER665]

The opening is only about 30” tall. Not much room after a header gets tossed in there.

There are two openings into the crawl, the one I’m taking pictures of I need to keep a decent sized access. The other one I’m going to jack the floor up and rebuild the wall. I’ve got another spot where there’s just a partition wall I can for sure open up without issue.

Isnt that duct trunk running along the opening? If thats already running and in the way I would assume a header isnt cutting off any room really?

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Isnt that duct trunk running along the opening? If thats already running and in the way I would assume a header isnt cutting off any room really?

No, it turns before the opening.

 

[GTPpower]

Is the green circled lumber 2x10's?

Even if they were 12's, a 10' span is pretty far for a pair of them to hold all that weight up. Does it look like the crawl space wall was put in afterwards?

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Is the green circled lumber 2x10's?

Even if they were 12's, a 10' span is pretty far for a pair of them to hold all that weight up. Does it look like the crawl space wall was put in afterwards?

Yes, 2x10s

 

[GTPpower]

Yes, 2x10s

Yeah, I think that's too small.

Is there a reason that wall was built there and not under the green lumber where it should have been? Maybe some pipes or something in the way?

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Yeah, I think that's too small.

Is there a reason that wall was built there and not under the green lumber where it should have been? Maybe some pipes or something in the way?

No idea other than the fact it’s directly on top of the wall that forms the crawl space.

I’ll take some video when I get home tonight so you guys can see what’s going on a bit better.

 

[LoveSpank]

Thats a real head scratcher lol. But I say load bearing as well. To many factors here scream load bearing. I have a very similar joist layout at my crib.

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

Well, I cleaned out my crawl space over the weekend and got at the back of the wall in question.

This stubby lally column is sitting on two fucking cracked bricks. Derp.

So, steel beam definitely dropped, 2x10 beam bearing on that dropped for that reason and caused joists to gap open at bottom where they are attached.

Now WTF do I do to fix this?

I’m thinking buying a tall jacking post to take weight off of the short column and replace the short column with a permanent adjustable post that has a bigger footing. What do I put underneath it, paver? Nothing? It’s sitting on top of a 10” thick concrete wall.

After that, jack up joists a couple at a time and reattach them to the wood beam with joist hangers. Also, rebuild load bearing wall and put headers in where there are openings.