question about load bearing walls in a house....

[jason]

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4360/picture1tfz.jpg

would like to eventually make our living room bigger but don't know how much trouble it would be....

[44INAROW]

If Crabman signs on today - I am betting he'll have an answer for you.......

[BEAST]

I have done a little construction but I am know expert. So take this for what you will. I dont think that is load bearing. The outer walls in that area should be the load bearing walls.




BEAST

[STANG RED]

I serously doubt that is a load bearing wall, but you'd have to go into the attic and look at the roof bracing to be sure.
If it does happen to end up being load bearing though, you can still install a beam and open your living room up. You can even install it in the attic to keep it out of sight if you want. I've done it both ways, but it's a lot easier, cheaper, and faster to use an exposed beam below the ceiling. I've even installed fake beams throughout the room, just for effect, to disguise the supporting beam.

[icu812]

Yes, but that doesn't matter as long as you put a header in place of the wall.

[Emerson1]

Tell maddie to send me pictures if she still there

[BILLYFRED0000]

If that is a garage wall it may be load bearing. Most builders design their homes as if the garage is an extra outside room and because of the width of the garage load both walls. The outer because of course it is outer and the inner because of the distance from the next load bearing wall. The slope of the house does come into play however but most older homes usually have a shallow slope which means the garage is supporting more of the slope of the roof. Hard to say with out looking however. There is no clear cut rule because many builders will cheat where they can and load as little as necessary.

[Old Dog]

I would assume the rafters and ceiling joists are running in the same direction as the wall that is the subject. Look in the attic (I know it's hot) and see if the rafters are made on site or are they manufactured trusses with metal plates holding them together. If they are trusses, it's probably not a weight bearing wall, otherwise it's questionable. Getting a pro to look is really the only valid thing to do.

[zeeman]

When we remodeled our house, we had a load bearing wall that we took out. Just installed two 2xx12's and then covered them up with plywood and painted them. Sure opened up the house. Good luck.