As part of a job I’m going to be starting the client wants to take out a section (about ten feet) of the wall between the kitchen and dining room in a condo. I’d guess the condo to be from the 20’s originally. I have a decent handle on determining if it’s a load bearing wall in typical residential work, but not in this case. The property manager is going to come by when the wall is stripped before any framing is removed, but there’s no way to know if he’s any more knowledgable than I am. Short of bringing in an engineer, any thoughts on what would be a good indication?
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Check whats above the wall and what below it. Determine which way the joists run( make sure you get this part right) Sometimes cielings hace been remodeled and its hard to tell without a big hole.
Thats exactly the case here TMO... part of the issue. There's a unit above this one. The wall's 2x4, with (as far as I can see a single top plate.)
Edited 6/6/2005 8:57 am ET by PaulB
As a suggestion just tell your customer that you have to treat it as load bearing and install a header. Little more work and a little more money but 10 feet or so shouldn't cause any big problems
Well, it may come to that for other reasons related to rerouting the considerable amount of elec inside the wall (hey... I thought you weren't supposed to bury j boxes? ;) ) But, they reallyyyyyyyyyyyyy don't want a header if I can avoid it. Thanks for the input.
PaulB
Edited 6/6/2005 9:05 am ET by PaulB
Edited 6/6/2005 9:05 am ET by PaulB
Give them what they need and tell them that's what they REALLY want.
:)
Good luck.
Edited 6/6/2005 9:08 am ET by TMO
There is more to it than just putting in a header. Waht has always been an evenly distributed load, niow transfers to being a point load at each end of the header and on down. Agree that it probably isn't much change but this being a condo, other people's property is involved so extreme caution is advisable
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