How to tell if a wall is loadbearing?

neas

Hi all,

Am looking at a house atm and the kitchen is very small... it was suggested that we could knock down the wall connecting kitchen to dining area to create an open plan dining/kitchen area. Seller said wall wasnt load bearing, but how do i know or verify this?

Copy of plan is shown below:

joolley

Very likely to be load bearing based on the plan but a competent builder would be able to say and calculate the RSJ required to replace this wall. Otherwise, engineer/surveyor.

theGrinch

how do the first floor joists run? parallel or perpendicular to this wall?

neas

This is pic of 'bedroom 2' with original floorboards present (varnished etc). They seem to run perpendiciular to wall we would want to remove below.




However the wall above the kitchen wall may be directly above it.. which i am assuming would make it load bearing (for the wall above at least).

Reading http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/load-bearing_walls.htm

Its not any clearer really.... i would ask vendor.. thing is kitchen is too small for our needs...so am trying to factor in how much it would cost to knock wall down (support it somehow if need be) and create open plan dining room living room.

House is a 1930s house.


Looking at diagram it seems bedroom 2 and dining room are same dimensions so the wall above and below are inline with one another. This would make it load bearing at least in the sense its support the wall above...

Am thinking the guy told me porkys

Kaz2904

Have you tried knocking on it? If it's hollow then it's less likely to be a load bearing wall.

G_M

Or knock it down. If the house stays in place, it's not load-bearing.

Otherwise pay a structural engineer to tell you.

Radsteral

if the wall is a partition(sounds hollow whenever you knock) then its not a load bearing
Best and most secure way is to open a hole on ceiling or remove the light to see the joists, if they run paralel with that wall then you are lucky

you can see the joists from upstairs floor too... remove the carpet a bit and see the direction of wood flooring.... the joists will rune crossing the direction of wood flooring

neas

see picture.. the wood flooring runs perpendicular to wall (-|) so joists will be parallel to wall.... but if theres a wall above the downstairs wall.. isnt this loadbearing (as its got a wall above it as well? oO)

poppysarah

Get someone to look at it who is qualifed.

How much extra kitchen are you having without completing ruining your dining space?

Get what you want drawn up and see whether you can put more units in or you just end up with two ruined rooms into one.

snapping_crocodile

From the plans it looks as though it may be load bearing, but as others have said get a builder in to check. Also easy to give it a tap and see if it sounds solid (load bearing) or hollow (not). Good luck

chappers

Radsteral wrote: »

if the wall is a partition(sounds hollow whenever you knock) then its not a load bearing

Don't listen to this advice, a stud wall can load bearing.

If you are correct and there is a wall directly above and then yes it may be load bearing.
I wouldn't worry about it with regards to a house purchase. The difference in cost to open that wall would be negligable if it were load bearing or not.