How can I spot a load bearing wall?

Answer by  Jerry35 (56)

The best place to look when spotting load bearing walls is in the attic. Look for walls that have roof braces or trusses that rest upon the wall. Walls that have second floors above them are also load bearing.

Answer by  Rick (38)

To get a good idea of which walls are load bearing, look in the attic of the home and see where the wall sits in relationship to the triangular shape of the ceiling joists. If the wall is supporting the corner of a triangle it is a load bearing wall.

Answer by  mark66 (21)

A load bearing wall carries the load of the houses second floor and/or the roof. Load bearing walls are usually the interior walls of a structure. They often have headers that accommodate additional weight.

Answer by  navyt34driver (26)

Most external walls on a house not on a gable end are load bearing, some interior walls are load bearing if they have a double top plate.

Answer by  cheygavara1 (33)

A load bearing wall usually runs from one end of the house to the other. If you look in the basement and follow the supports (usually lolly columns) they will show you the direction of the bearing wall. The wall above , going in the same direction transfers the weight to the next wall above (If there is a second story).