We just bought an old house and it has a couple of long skinny rooms. We want to knock out a wall and make it into a big living room and entry way. The problem is that the separating wall between these rooms is an original outside wall to the house. It has been built onto. Is there a way to knock down this wall without having the whole house come down on us?
Sounds like a load bearing wall for certain! :-0 Don't mess with it until you've talked to someone who knows!
Sweetly talk to your local city/county code inspector in to taking a look at it! They will give you the true scoop at no charge and even if you have to pay for a permit to tear the wall(s) out you'll be given sound advice on pennies for the dollar over an engineer! Be sure to get the advice from the inspector in writing if they say it is safe to do on your own!
We wanted to change a steep stairway interior ceiling overhang in our 1890's built home at one time and I am glad I called the building inspectors office because I found out it was indeed a bearing portion of the house :-o We were given the advice for free from the inspector and decided we could live with it the way it was once bids came in to what it would cost to safely change it from several contractors ;-)
There was no way my former hubby and I would have even tried to do it on our own once finding out it was 'bearing'!
Any load bearing wall moving or removing is a job for professionals. I say this from experience,,,lol,,,,It really is not something you should do yourself.
If it is a load bearing wall it has to remain. Best to have an engineer look at it and not a carpenter. An architect should make some new drawings based on what the engineer has discovered for a carpenter to follow.
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