How to Tell if Your Wall is Load Bearing

Here we show you how to tell if a wall is load bearing, and we explain the physics and engineering behind load bearing walls, and break down each of the components of a stud wall for you in this bearing wall design example, like jack studs and kind studs, both important parts of your load bearing wall framing.

Tools we recommend:
It's a 20-Volt MAX XR Lithium-Ion battery cordless brushless 2-speed 33-degree framing nailer. This comes with charger and case too. I got this as a great alternative to having a compressor and twisted hoses everywhere to power a framing nailer to nail the bottom plate and wall studs back together, and add cabinet blocking to our stud walls.

Keep in mind this house was built in 1946 on the cheap for veterans, the header over this door frame resting on the jack studs was not correct. Today's building codes for bearing wall framing would have the header as a two 2x6 boards, with a half inch plywood sandwiched in between and they would be mounted with the 6" side upward vertically, not laying down flat on the jack studs as the door frame on this load bearing wall shows.

If you are about to take down your wall in the kitchen to open up the kitchen to the living room, you need to know if that is a • bearing wall structure because you can't just demolish that wall, there are certain bracing precautions you must use prior to load bearing wall removal. So at this point, you really have to study and learn how to know if a wall is load bearing.

A load bearing wall is a wall that directly bears the point load weight of the roof trusses or a second floor above it. If it is a true load bearing wall, then usually the floor joists of the attic above your wall will sit with one end of the joist on the top of your stud wall, and so people remodeling a house need to determine if the wall is load bearing or not. If you see a floor joist end on top of your stud wall, then it is a load bearing wall, and you know you can't just remove load bearing wall until you put the new framing in.

The strict definition of the load bearing wall is if the ends of a roof truss or floor joists sit on top of your stud wall, then you know there is a point load going down to ground. But what if the joists are just traveling across the top of your stud wall, and the joists are supported on both ends of the house, is your wall still load bearing? In this potential bearing wall design example, opinions vary.

It's a tough question, not everyone is a structural engineering expert. I witnessed 2 contractors debating over whether this was a load bearing wall. Some people say yes these are load bearing walls, and some say no. But you cant go wrong in treating it as a load bearing wall, and just make sure you don't take the whole wall down at once. to be safe for load bearing wall removal, you can always build a temporary stud wall to brace the ceiling joists until you replace the bearing wall with a beam and its supports.

But if it is a load bearing wall, you need to build bracing to support the floor joists or other loads above prior to removing any studs from this wall. Also the header over the door should be made of two 2x6 pieces of wood nailed together and mounted so the 6" tall part should be the header over the door top. You may need a 1/2" thick filler piece nailed between them.

This is what I think is the funny part, you have to build a bearing wall framing structure in order to take down a load bearing framing structure.

Load bearing wall removal

If the wall is load bearing, then you cannot just start pulling studs out of it to open up your kitchen for that open concept look because then the load, which is your roof or second floor, could come crashing down. You need to build a temporary stud wall and mount it pretty close to your load bearing wall to support the ceiling structure above it before you can remove that load bearing wall.

Based on the information in this video, you'll be able to quickly determine whether your wall is load bearing or not, and see the necessary anatomy of what a properly framed door cut out should look like to create a cutout for a door in a load bearing wall.

00:00 Introduction to load bearing walls
00:52 Components of a typical wall, studs, top/bottom plates
01:57 How point loads from above are supported to ground
04:49 Adding a door to a load bearing wall
07:14 How to tell a load bearing wall with drywall installed

[jeffostroff]

It's a 20-Volt MAX XR Lithium-Ion battery cordless brushless 2-speed 33-degree framing nailer. This comes with charger and case too. I got this as a great alternative to having a compressor and twisted hoses everywhere to power a framing nailer to nail the bottom plate and wall studs back together, and add cabinet blocking to our stud walls.

[kellireece]

Finally.  Someone who can define what a wall bearing wall actually looks like.  Love your communication style.  A true teacher.  Bravo.

[patriciamcgillen]

Finally!!! Someone who can easily show and explain what a wall bearing wall looks like... thank you sooo much! I've searched everywhere an no now could explain and show it as nicely as you did

[rainisrockstar]

Dude you are an excellent teacher. I barely noticed that 8.5 minutes went by, you explained things so nicely. I was hooked ! Thanks!!

[phaə]

OMG watching so many videos about load bearing walls and this was the most thorough and informative one so far! Pretty cut and dry. THANK YOU!!

[ar]

Best “How to tell if wall is load bearing” video on YouTube. Great job!!

[mitchelloneill]

Thanks a bunch!
In the UK most load bearing walls are brick from top to bottom in my experience / knowledge. Our new home is more rural and the ground floor is brick and the 1st floor is stud. It confused me but as I assumed and watching your video has cleared it up as a load bearing wall!

Thanks

[desigreen]

You conveyed this information so well, succinctly, and in a way that's easily digestible to lay people. I don't know who you are (found this video googling load bearing walls), but if you're a contractor, you're a client's dream! I would love to work with a contractor who walked me through things like this so I could better understand my home!

[CoronadoStudio]

1918 SFH that was converted into a duplex sometime over the last century. Was looking to open up a smaller doorway for a closet pantry. I do not think the wall is loadbearing, but this has given me the confidence and the information needed to tackle the project. I will act as if the wall really is load bearing since it's an older home.

[TreiGamer]

I almost never comment on YouTube videos but I watched this video and your "how to cut a door" video and they were both SUPER helpful and gave me the knowledge and confidence to add my own door between my house and my garage on the new house I'm buying.

I'll still likley involve a friend who's more familiar/comfortable with these things, but now I know and understand the principles behind the whole deal, so that will help me immensely. Thanks!

[janicewoods]

I’ve watched so many videos to try and understand how to tell if a wall is load bearing or not, this is this best explanation I’ve ever seen. Thank you for this video.

[py_tok]

from a Buildability stand your explanation is perfect, I just found your channel, I will recommend IT. Thank You Jeff

[ljaysperspective]

Thank you for clarifying what a load bearing wall is. The fact that the beams are visible was great because im a very visual person and can comprehend better with an ilustration. I sometimes perform handyman jobs but i will not take a job or perform a task if it will jeopardize the integrity of a structure. Great vid thx !!!

[mdavelaz]

Finally, after so many videos, your was the one! Thank you so much.

[leonadubois]

thankyou for explaining this so clearly in regular English ..thank you so much I feel very comfortable going ahead with my renos now!

[actmrhata]

Thank you! My husband generally does this because I’ve been intimidated by the technicalities, but this was VERY clear and easy to understand

[ut]

Wow, this explanation is FANTASTIC. Makes it so clear, and I finally know the terminology: King stud, Jack stud, joist, "cripple", etc. Thank you, sir!

[lurklingX]

This was FANTASTIC, thank you so much! Framing was escaping me a little bit, with the terminology and all of the parts. And this plus a picture I found online with labels, I now I feel solidly educated!

[femineity]

I'd always wanted to know exactly how load bearing walls worked and how to figure out what walls were load bearing and this video explained it in a way I could understand it clearly so, thank you!

[lexb]

Got 10 stitches on my head. It was definately a load bearing