How To Replace Load Bearing Exterior Wall And Roof Rafters

Open up cramped rooms by replacing a wall with a load bearing beam.

How to replace load bearing exterior wall and roof rafters.

Create an open kitchen dining area a larger living room or a huge master bedroom using basic framing techniques and standard materials. There are two ways to accomplish this. Load bearing walls support the weight of a floor or roof structure above and are so named because they bear a load. In this roof design the exterior walls on which the roof s sloping rafters rest are load bearing walls.

The outside walls are supporting the roof so they re bearing walls. Adjustable steel columns also called lally columns or jack posts are the quickest and most effective way to add supports. Line up the 12 inch mark on the. Ceiling joists that meet over the wall indicate that it s a bearing wall.

Although they don t bear the full weight load of the roof the gable end walls are also typically load bearing and an interior wall running parallel to the roof ridge in the center of the building often bears a load from the ridge. When you remove a load bearing wall you need to create a temporary support to bear the weight of the ceiling before removing the wall which will remain until the beam is fully in place. Add 2 by 4 lumber to a 2 by 4 stud wall or 2 by 6 lumber for a 2 by 6 stud wall. As an example on a 7 12 roof pitch line the 7 inch mark on the tongue of the framing square the thinner and shorter side on the inside top of the rafter board.

It is carrying the weight of the ceiling. Lay a strip of 2x4s on the floor run another doubled up strip across the ceiling held in place with nails or screws then jack a pair of steel. A beam directly under a wall usually means that it s a bearing wall whether the beam is in a crawl space basement or on the main floor. The best way to make small or cramped rooms larger is to remove a wall between adjoining rooms.

If the new stud is too short it will not support the plate and roof. Matching the exact length of the studs is vital.