Hi everyone, we just added another video along these lines called "How to Stabilize a Wobbly Partition Wall (Kitchen Remodel Knee Wall)", view it here: th-cam.com/video/KWIHdWjPKC0/w-d-xo.html Tools we recommend: Dewalt Framing Nailer Kit: amzn.to/2BIespt 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.
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
Thank you. This is one of the best videos for the absolute novice! Too often, these types of videos use an industry -specific vocabulary that makes it difficult to understand without experience in the field. Question: I want to determine if either of two walls of a 2-story house with partial basement is load bearing. I went to the unfinished L-shaped basement and found the joists run parallel to the walls. However, there is a large metal I-beam with two large metal posts from I-beam to basement floor. This I-beam runs perpendicular to the walls and the width of the basement. Does this I-beam support the entire 2-story house? If a wall is load bearing on one floor, is there necessarily a load bearing wall directly above it on the floor above?
Melton The fact that they have a steel I-beam in place with 2 metal rods indicates to me they're attempting to hold up a major load in this one probably is supporting quite a bit of the 1st floor of the house And everything vertically above that load. I don't see you can always assume that just because you have a load bearing wall in the basement that there will be one directly above it on the 2nd floor you really need to find out what walls on your 1st floor have a load that has an endpoint on top of that wall. The only way to determine is to go up in your attic and look. It could be that your rafters are going from one side of the house to the other side of the house and that the exterior walls might be holding up the load you just can't tell without a proper inspection by somebody who really knows what they are doing.
Thanks. I don't plan on tearing down any walls until an engineer has blessed it! Just thought if it was obviously a weight bearing wall, I could save the time and expense of hiring an engineer. I'll send my son up into the attic to check this weekend. Way above my pay grade.
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!
I am from another country and wondered what was a load bearing wall. I had a good idea but your clear and easy explanation helped me to understand all that is involved. Thank you so much.
Thankyou for the info. I understand a load bearing wall much better now. I now realize the wall that my houses previous owner had cut open to make an archway was load bearing. I wasn't sure but was concerned so I replaced it with a smaller doorway with header etc that fits between the wide studs (very old house).
Jeff, you are always the best, you explains so simply and precisely. I want to open a door opening in my basement wall to furnace room. I want to do it myself so now I have a fair idea how to differentiate between a load bearing and non load bearing wall. Thank you Jeff.
Great video thanks for sharing. That may be a old school header but nowadays a load-bearing header will be lumber standing up on edge, generally it's at least a 2 by 6 or 2 by 8, doubled - up most of the time, sandwich with half inch plywood in between for a standard 4 inch wall. There's my two cents for you sir... Merry Christmas
fantastic video! You are very clear and easy to listen to. While listening, I found myself nodding in response to your instructions as though you were right in front of me. :)
Very nice video, Wayyy to many DIY now days, who think they know all about construction just by watching videos, forgetting about structural weight calculations Thanks
Ok this guy is the man. Such clear and MOST IMPORTANTLY straight to the point instructions with no BS that I would deem this tutorial flawless. What makes your tutorial so worthy of respect is the fact that when you watch it as someone who knows nothing on the subject and impulsively have internal questions each step of the way... and they are answered instantly without you having the time to actually wonder.... this level of bare bones teaching is rare and as a tradesmen in a different field, (pipefitting) I full heartedly dig and support everything about this. Thank you good sir. We need more men like you in this world.
I'm in the process of finishing my basement. I opened up the staircase going down to make it flow better. What I did prior to taking out any studs I paid to have a structural engineer come in and verify what I could and could not remove so I did not make any mistakes. It wasn't cheap but at least I know.
The double top plate has nothing to do with a load bearing wall. The second plate ties all the walls together by lapping at corners and partitions. Should be a double plate on non-load bearing walls also
Not uncommon to have free span trusses where no interior walls are load bearing. Saying every wall that is perpendicular to roof framing is not correct. It is typically correct on rafter/joist framing, but not always the case on pre-engineered trusses.
I was just thinking the same. Kudos! This very good info! I am about to start rebuilding my home due to flooding and was looking for info on how to replace certain studs. This videos is very informative! Thank you
IRC and IBC require two top plates regardless of the wall is bearing or non bearing. When the wall is longer and multiple pieces are needed, the joints must be staggered. If the second plate was only to supply a minimum thickness, there would be no concern for the lap distance or nailing. Max stud spacing is 24". If you find 25" anywhere, somebody made a mistake. This was a short video, but there was a lot of misinformation
sroyfred wrong. See IRC R602.3.2, exception is only for top plates properly tied at corners and splices, and where point loads are centeredover studs. What we are not realizing is those plates are not just for gravity bearing, it's at times also the chord tension compression member of the diaphragm, see NDS lateral guide. These videos should be removed from TH-cam. Leave load path analysis to someone trained. This dood is missing alot of info, particularly in stiffness transfer.
Just because there is a top plate doesn't mean it's load bearing- it just makes it easier to tie in to another wall using a lap joint. Although, another consideration is that even though this wall isn't load bearing, it could be structural. Meaning- it could be providing rigidity to an inner or exterior wall. There are more factors at play in the layout other than vertical load transfer
Bryan Gatewood All of your statements are true except for the 1st one because the International building codes require that there be a top plate for a load bearing wall unless the truss is directly over a stud.
jeffostroff You misread what I said- I agree with you and so did my statement.regarding double top plates. I was just saying just because there is a double top plate doesn't mean it's load bearing. Cheers!
Hi Jeff! I'm taking out the front walls of a closet making it an alcove. The joists run perpendicular to the closet. How can I tell if that is a load bearing wall?
Really the best way for you to tell if it is load bearing, is to look and see do any of the joists have an endpoint that ends on top of that stud wall? If so then it is a load bearing wall. If the joists that pass over your wall just simply go across that top of that wall then it is not likely to be a load bearing wall and I'm sure the endpoints of those joists will then end maybe on top of some other load bearing wall. If there are any other vertical roof supports or roof truss supports or anything else that has an end point on top of that wall that is using that wall as a support, then you likely have a load bearing wall
It would not hurt to ass the cripple and build the wall as a load bearing wall, that way you have options later on if you need to modify the house and that wall changes to a load bearing wall. It's only a few pieces of wood, and better header over the door.
Excellent video. Load bearing: bears the weight (load) (ball bearing - the balls are bearing the weight (load, force)). Stud-joist alignment - Ideally instead of "theoretically". They're all carrying some weight, but it is a significant load that is when it is considered "load-bearing". Otherwise they are referred to as a partition (load bearing walls can also partition a space. (2)2x and (1)4x - close, but not the same unless they were monolithic. "Out of phase" is used for - this has been misused by instructors using words/concepts that don't really apply (so loosely that it creates more confusion).
Stupid question but how can I tell if it’s a load bearing wall if it has drywall over it?? Obviously without the drywall like yours, I can tell easily since you have explained it. But I don’t want to cut my drywall just to see. Will I have to use a stud finder?
Only way to tell for use is get above the stud wall in the attach, and if any rafters or ceiling joists have endpoints that end on top of it, then it is a load bearing wall
If the joists in the basement run side to side and the joists in the attic run side to side, is it likely that the joists in the second floor deck run front to back?
if there is no header beam in the wall then it is probably not load bearing. the top plate has nothing to do with bearing load nor does the truss layout.
Jerry, Reading some of the other comments on this video leads me to doubt the validity of the information. Personally, I think this is a subject where a professional should be called in. The stakes are too high for getting it wrong.
@@MrAkwaholic 8 Unfortunately you drink the Kool aid from a bunch of these carpenters that came on here and posted that are basically divided into 2 different statements that they commonly .make here, which one of them is that the top plate of the wall is used to tie the 2 walls together which is true but they're trying to tell me that my statement that says that you need that top plate there if you have a load bearing wall is incorrect. And this makes these carpenters who don't understand the International building code it makes them think that my information is wrong. Secondly you will see a number of carpenters come on here and point out the fact that just because the 1946 door frame wasn't built like THEY do it in he 21st century so they strongly assu.e it is not a load bearing wall a d tbey the fals6 accuse me of being wrong. The use the incorrect method to Determine if a wall is load bearing. You don't declare a wall load bearing based on the fact of whether or not the builder framed up the door correctly or not. So all of those guys leaving those comments or just stupid. You can't say that is not a earing wall just because it didn't have the vertical header and 2 pieces of wood sandwiched together and standing up sideways to form a larger header beam they think that means that this is not a load bearing wall. But they don't understand that there's a lot of bad carpenters out there and a lot of bad contractors who skirt the law and this house was Built-in the forties cheap for veterans and a lot of them didn't build a load bearing door frame the way they should have. So the only way to really tell that the wall is load bearing is to be able to get up into the attic and see if the rafters have end point on top of the wall or if there are any floor joists that end on top of the wall. So all of this has caused Hysteria between you and the other incorrect commenters causing you to doubt me. If you are concerned about somebody's house falling down because of what I say you need not worry because my method here will cause them to be more conservative and treat the wall like its load bearing in hence the house would not fall apart because they would use bracing you're listening to a bunch of naysayers.
jeffostroff . Precisely my point. There are different opinions as to what is right and what is not. I don’t think the potential consequences of an amateur doing it themselves is worth the risk. There are some things, most things in fact, that I’m happy to give a go but when it comes to my roof possibly collapsing and causing not only financial damage but also harm and injury,that’s where I draw the line and get a pro in. I’m happy to pay for the peace of mind. I’m not saying what you are saying is not right but there seems to be too many differing opinions to take the chance.
No way that's a load bearing wall. If it is, your video should be how to not build a load bearing wall. The header would be considered insufficient and the lack of cripples directly above the jacks negate the transfer of any weight from the center cripple downward. If there were weight coming down on that center cripple it would simply cause that header to bow downward in the middle and curl upward at the jacks.
7:30 I won't be building doorways anytime soon... But I actually assumed that you would side nail the Jack stud into the king stud... Good to know. It makes sense that the weight would go into the Nail, instead of the floor.
Yes sir, I was thinking the same thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was talking about side nailing the header itself directly into the kingstud and leaving the Jack stud out completely ( which is crazy as hell). That leaves all the weight that's dispersed through the header, going directly to the nails. ALWAYS USE A JACK STUD WHEN CONSTRUCTING A HEADER!!!
Great video but that wall is not necessarily load bearing. Depends on the ceiling joist spans and sizes. Judging by what I can see you don’t have two joists overlapping on that wall. Therefore, that joist probably goes end to end or overlaps on another wall.
Excellent video. I'm needing to replace a section of bottom plate (approx 8' in length) in my mobile home. This is on the exterior (load bearing??) Wall in my bedroom. Can I support everything by screwing some 2x4s to my floor joists then put a temporary "top plate" below the ceiling? I.e. a temporary wall inside of my wall that needs bottom plate replacement? I hope that makes sense. I would do those 2x4s on every floor joist and go up to the temporary top plate. Thank you
We have a video on repairing the bottom plate here: th-cam.com/video/nnJp4H8y1aA/w-d-xo.html just make sure to use a pressure treated lumber piece for the bottom plate, it is required by code.
@@jeffostroff thanks! I have removed a section of floor so could I just screw the temporary "wall studs" to the floor joists up to a temporary top plate?
U have some good points on explaning thing's, but U yourself need to learn what a "Load Bearing" wall is and how to detect one, I really doubt this is one, No load from above and ceiling joist don't intersect over it. Only thing you can't see is how far they span, double plate's have Nothing to do with it being Load Bearing...
Continuous joists don't mean it's not a bearing wall. We don't know enough about how this roof is constructed to say for sure what this wall is doing. Double top plates will likely be typical for all interior walls unless the builder is ordering custom length studs or cutting every single stud in a bearing wall. Both are more costly that just installing a second top plate.
It may or may not be load bearing. It's fairly common to have load bearing walls towards the center of the house..... that allows the builder to have ceiling joists that are less strong. It takes a lot more strength to span twice the distance without support. The answers would be up in that attic....
No, we use double 2x10s with sleeper plates. And what year code book is that. MRC states all walls must consist of a primary and secondary top plate. Secondary lapping no less then 48 inches past any joint in the primary plate ,and any load must bear above not the stud but a properly sized wall collumn.
Yes it always matters if the wall is load bearing or not so if you have to cut a hole in the wall 2 put your door in there you still have to run all of the support studs on either side of the door frame in order to allow the load to continue to get down to the floor
Say the roof is held onto the perimeter wall. What about the ceiling or attic floor support? Does a wall in the middle of the house hold up the ceiling or floor from the attic?
That has always been a debate among experts. Is there nay sagging of the middle of ceiling joists that would put some downward force on any wall in the middle that is not designated as a load bearing wall? I have always felt there is some downward force in a case like this. At this house, we had a wall in the kitchen that was not a load bearing wall because no joists ended on top of the wall, or crossed other joists over the wall. We only needed to make a door opening in this wall, and so we did preserve the wall altogether. If you remove the entire wall and replace it with a beam, now you have to worry about the end supports under the beam, if they are up tot he task of supporting the beam. So many unknowns.
@@jeffostroff there is a basement with a cinder block wall underneath this wall I am talking about. Removing this wall I am talking about would leave a huge ceiling or attic area unsupported which I think can be easily resolved with a metal beam.
@@thetommantom You'll also have to make sure whatever holds up that beam is up tot he task, preferably metal poles. Also under the basement to carry that load from the beam support pole down to the foundation will also be needed. Usually also metal support poles in the basement to support the floor joists above it.
I thought a load bearing wall is where the joists rest on at the ends, let’s say u have 3 walls, a joist runs over all 3. Do you count all 3 as load bearing or just the two end ones, ??
If you look at 0:14 in the video, it appears that one by board was put there to join two sheets of drywall together on the opposite side of the wall from the bathroom in the living room
I'd always learned that the lintels should be oriented the other way to maximize strength (more difficult to bend two 2x4s on edge than for two stacked 4x2s to flex).
Yes we do it all the time and replace with new cabinets you just want to make sure your screws go through the back of the cabinet on a support brace on the cabinet and all the way through the wall into a stud. What I like to do is put full depth cabinets over the refrigerator but when I do that I will then add a a thick panel on either side of the refrigerator to help support that cabinet and also make it look more professional. Many of the cabinet manufacturers will have these panels that you can buy and you just cut them to whatever size you need
I found your video very informative. I just had my entry door replaced, it has sidelights that are attached (all one piece) When the contractor removed the old door and side lights it was in three separate pieces. when removing the sidelights, it was attached to one of the beams, which he removed along with the sidelight because it was to difficult to separate. He did not replace the beam, just added some long screws. When I questioned him he said that was fine. It didn't sit well with me, so I started doing some research. After seeing your video, I think I have a problem. Contractor finished the installation, put all the molding on and it looks ok, but I am concerned that he may have compromised the safety of my home. Do I have to take all the molding off to check? Would a stud finder help? What can you suggest? I appreciate any advice you can give me. (My home is on a slab). Thank you, Bob
Well it does not sound to me like your contractor pulled a permit, which is probably required in your area for an entry door. But either way not a good idea to remove a beam over a door. This would not be so bad if the wall is not a load bearing wall. But if it is a load bearing wall, the you need to make sure the studs on either side of the door are present and the 2 beams on top of the door as shown in this video. You can use a stud finder to start right at the top of the door to locate the first beam which is normally 1 1/2" thick, then stacked on top of the beam should be another beam, because on door tops they will usually use 2 pieces of 2 x 4 stacked on top of each other.
But what if it was a little wall for a closet space that you were wanting to take out for more space in your room?the wall going about 24in out from the main wall
Hey anybody know if my side split home has a load bearing wall between kitchen and living room, we have trusses built in 1978 in the attic this wall is in the middle over top the basement beam but it is trusses and the spand is only 7 feet of wall, thanks
Angel Loya It is there to tie the 2 walls together and it is also required for load bearing purposes. The building codes allow you to eliminate that top 2x4 if you use a 3 by 6 galvanized steel plate To tie the 2 walls together
Very informative video! I have a question. For two story buildings, will the load bearing studs always run from the ground to the second story ceiling? I want to check if a wall on the first floor is load bearing but I cannot see the floor joist between the first and second floor
Kevin, yes you should see a load bearing element stretch vertically from basement floor all the way upstairs to the top floor attic, that is the simplistic design method, unless they created some floor joist support system on the first floor that allows them to shift the point load somewhere else on the first floor, where it would then pickup with another stud wall or post on the first floor.
normally you use a beam that carries the load to the outside walls of the home so that the load can be sent into the footers of the house if not then every first floor would have the exact layout of the second floor because you would have to build walls under everything.. and then same with the basement
Can you help me I have a question regarding joists. I have concrete walls in my house, but the joists are only 4" deep. I have plenty of space to make another room up there, but my question is. As my house is made of block concrete, what masonry hangers do I use to make the floor joists stronger to support a new floor. I understand that I could attach the new joists to the existing wooden ones. Can you advise me please.
Dave, you have a very complex engineering issue there. The ceiling joists for your first floor, will have to be replaced with floor joists to make the 2nd floor, because 2x4 ceiling joists you have now are inappropriate for use as floor joists on the second floor. Likely those will have to be 2x10 or 2x12, way stronger than 2x4. You should have an engineering company with you on this, as there are many complex variable for determining what size and what type of joists, or headers or beams you will need. They do have joist hangers for concrete, and maybe the engineering firm has better alternatives for you. For example, let's say all the joists line up and terminate up against the cement block wall. You could mount a long L-shaped angle iron piece of metal to the cement wall which then provides a shelf for all the joists to rest on, then you bolt them to the angle iron. These are the things the engineering firm will look into, along with asking is it allowed by code.
your 2x4 'joists' are collars. I am assuming this is a rafter roof and not a truss roof--else you would not have room for another room. If you were to do this, you would need to put in new floor joists that are the right size for the span. Depending on the span, these would move to your outside walls. The collars can stay as they would be below the floor joists in hight. (do not put the floor joists on top on the collars, just beside according to code.) Also, you may want to ensure your walls are on 16' centers if you hav4 2x4 construction before doing this.
I have a 14' wall that extends from the end of the wall on one side of the home, inward 14'. This wall has a door, to a small room, that room had a wall separating it from the master bath, its gone. This wall runs in the same direction as the ceiling joust and rafters. Would this 14' wall be a load bearing wall?
It does not sound like your wall would be a load bearing wall if it is running the same direction of the joists above it, but the true way to tell is if there are any floor joists above this wall whose endpoints are resting on top of the top plate of this wall, not just the joists are crossing the top plate, but if they end on top of the plate, then this wall would be load bearing. Also are there any vertical members of the roof framing support that are angled upward to the roof peak, which have endpoints resting on top of this wall? If either of those 2 cases are true, then you have a load bearing wall. You can also do what we did, cut up 2 x 4 blocks so that as you pull the bottom plate out from under each vertical stud, you hammer in this block behind it to hold up the stud and take the place of the bottom plate. Just have the block occupy only half of the stud bottom, so you can hammer in the new bottom plate, made from pressure treated lumber, as required by code.
Is there any way to open up that doorway any? I have a doorway into my living room I'm about 90% sure its load bearing but I'd really like to open up the hallway straight into the living room is that doable?
There is a way to do that depending on how wide you would need the opening to be you would have to use to buy 6 headers that are standing upright so that the 6" part is the taller part and you would have to of them seem which together with the board and between them or you would have to have somebody engineer you a beam with adequate Jack studs and king studs on either side
Hi everyone, we just added another video along these lines called "How to Stabilize a Wobbly Partition Wall (Kitchen Remodel Knee Wall)", view it here: th-cam.com/video/KWIHdWjPKC0/w-d-xo.html
Tools we recommend:
Dewalt Framing Nailer Kit: amzn.to/2BIespt
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.
L
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
I finally understand load bearing, joists, and wall structure. Thank you!
same!
This video helps, but you need a lot more information!
Got 10 stitches on my head. It was definately a load bearing
Thank you. This is one of the best videos for the absolute novice! Too often, these types of videos use an industry -specific vocabulary that makes it difficult to understand without experience in the field. Question: I want to determine if either of two walls of a 2-story house with partial basement is load bearing. I went to the unfinished L-shaped basement and found the joists run parallel to the walls. However, there is a large metal I-beam with two large metal posts from I-beam to basement floor. This I-beam runs perpendicular to the walls and the width of the basement. Does this I-beam support the entire 2-story house? If a wall is load bearing on one floor, is there necessarily a load bearing wall directly above it on the floor above?
Melton The fact that they have a steel I-beam in place with 2 metal rods indicates to me they're attempting to hold up a major load in this one probably is supporting quite a bit of the 1st floor of the house And everything vertically above that load. I don't see you can always assume that just because you have a load bearing wall in the basement that there will be one directly above it on the 2nd floor you really need to find out what walls on your 1st floor have a load that has an endpoint on top of that wall. The only way to determine is to go up in your attic and look. It could be that your rafters are going from one side of the house to the other side of the house and that the exterior walls might be holding up the load you just can't tell without a proper inspection by somebody who really knows what they are doing.
Thanks. I don't plan on tearing down any walls until an engineer has blessed it! Just thought if it was obviously a weight bearing wall, I could save the time and expense of hiring an engineer. I'll send my son up into the attic to check this weekend. Way above my pay grade.
Great video Jeff! Learned a ton just in this 8-minute video. Keep up the great work.
Awesome, thank you!
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!
Thanks Trey!
I am from another country and wondered what was a load bearing wall. I had a good idea but your clear and easy explanation helped me to understand all that is involved. Thank you so much.
HANDS DOWN THE BEST VIDEO EXPLANATION THANKS!!!!!
Thankyou for the info. I understand a load bearing wall much better now. I now realize the wall that my houses previous owner had cut open to make an archway was load bearing. I wasn't sure but was concerned so I replaced it with a smaller doorway with header etc that fits between the wide studs (very old house).
Thank you so much for educating me. I found this extremely helpful and, I now know what to look for when tearing down my non-weight bearing wall.
Glad you found it useful! Look at our other helpful videos too!
The top plate or 2x4 is there to lock all the walls together
Jeff, you are always the best, you explains so simply and precisely. I want to open a door opening in my basement wall to furnace room. I want to do it myself so now I have a fair idea how to differentiate between a load bearing and non load bearing wall. Thank you Jeff.
You can do it!
LOVED!!! I finally understood the concept. Thank you so much!
The top plate also ties all of the walls segments together during the framing processes
Great video thanks for sharing. That may be a old school header but nowadays a load-bearing header will be lumber standing up on edge, generally it's at least a 2 by 6 or 2 by 8, doubled - up most of the time, sandwich with half inch plywood in between for a standard 4 inch wall. There's my two cents for you sir... Merry Christmas
fantastic video! You are very clear and easy to listen to. While listening, I found myself nodding in response to your instructions as though you were right in front of me. :)
Thanks Tamara, I'm glad you found my video useful!
Very nice video, Wayyy to many DIY now days, who think they know all about construction just by watching videos, forgetting about structural weight calculations
Thanks
Ok this guy is the man. Such clear and MOST IMPORTANTLY straight to the point instructions with no BS that I would deem this tutorial flawless.
What makes your tutorial so worthy of respect is the fact that when you watch it as someone who knows nothing on the subject and impulsively have internal questions each step of the way... and they are answered instantly without you having the time to actually wonder.... this level of bare bones teaching is rare and as a tradesmen in a different field, (pipefitting) I full heartedly dig and support everything about this. Thank you good sir. We need more men like you in this world.
Thanks for your kind comments Allan!
I'm in the process of finishing my basement. I opened up the staircase going down to make it flow better. What I did prior to taking out any studs I paid to have a structural engineer come in and verify what I could and could not remove so I did not make any mistakes. It wasn't cheap but at least I know.
Rick, That's the best way to do it!
How much did it cost for structural engineering. Thanks
@@sogosmile4624 About a grand. Engineering doesn't come cheap.
Explained in a way to understand. Thank
You
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
excellent use of camera and pointing for your explanation technique.
Thanks Nick glad you liked it
The double top plate has nothing to do with a load bearing wall. The second plate ties all the walls together by lapping at corners and partitions. Should be a double plate on non-load bearing walls also
Vincent - Exactly! And because a framed wall is perpendicular to the ceiling joist, does not mean the wall will be load bearing as stated in video.
You’re both wrong.
Not uncommon to have free span trusses where no interior walls are load bearing. Saying every wall that is perpendicular to roof framing is not correct. It is typically correct on rafter/joist framing, but not always the case on pre-engineered trusses.
Chris.....This is 101..........Trusses, contain only interior non-loading walls.............Thanks for the comment.
Jimmy Kuros Not always, there are plenty of home designs that use three point trusses and are a little trickier to determine.
Awesome video 👍 definitely helps since my hubby and I own a old house, and are remodeling! Thank you!
Happy to help!
I was just thinking the same. Kudos! This very good info! I am about to start rebuilding my home due to flooding and was looking for info on how to replace certain studs. This videos is very informative! Thank you
Glad to help out, and good luck with your rebuilding.
great video. easy to understand. clearly spoken. Outstanding!!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Hope you'll enjoy our other videos also!
IRC and IBC require two top plates regardless of the wall is bearing or non bearing. When the wall is longer and multiple pieces are needed, the joints must be staggered. If the second plate was only to supply a minimum thickness, there would be no concern for the lap distance or nailing. Max stud spacing is 24". If you find 25" anywhere, somebody made a mistake.
This was a short video, but there was a lot of misinformation
Sorry, IRC does not require two top plates if the joists are centered over the studs (or offset no more than 1"). The video is correct.
sroyfred wrong. See IRC R602.3.2, exception is only for top plates properly tied at corners and splices, and where point loads are centeredover studs. What we are not realizing is those plates are not just for gravity bearing, it's at times also the chord tension compression member of the diaphragm, see NDS lateral guide. These videos should be removed from TH-cam. Leave load path analysis to someone trained. This dood is missing alot of info, particularly in stiffness transfer.
Very good explanation, thanks Jeff
Glad it was helpful Bill!
Wow what a lesson !!! Was not aware of this. Great video !!!
Thanks so much, glad you liked our video!
Well articulated. Very informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you! Great informational video
Glad it was helpful!
Great Video 👍 You helped me with all my questions...
Very good job explaining everything. Thank you
Thanks glad you liked it Toni!
Just because there is a top plate doesn't mean it's load bearing- it just makes it easier to tie in to another wall using a lap joint. Although, another consideration is that even though this wall isn't load bearing, it could be structural. Meaning- it could be providing rigidity to an inner or exterior wall. There are more factors at play in the layout other than vertical load transfer
Bryan Gatewood All of your statements are true except for the 1st one because the International building codes require that there be a top plate for a load bearing wall unless the truss is directly over a stud.
jeffostroff You misread what I said- I agree with you and so did my statement.regarding double top plates. I was just saying just because there is a double top plate doesn't mean it's load bearing. Cheers!
Can you upload a video of doing a open kitchen concept?
I have a video on that! th-cam.com/video/cjBVFwVeciI/w-d-xo.html
Thank you. This is valuable information.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Jeff! I'm taking out the front walls of a closet making it an alcove. The joists run perpendicular to the closet. How can I tell if that is a load bearing wall?
Really the best way for you to tell if it is load bearing, is to look and see do any of the joists have an endpoint that ends on top of that stud wall? If so then it is a load bearing wall. If the joists that pass over your wall just simply go across that top of that wall then it is not likely to be a load bearing wall and I'm sure the endpoints of those joists will then end maybe on top of some other load bearing wall. If there are any other vertical roof supports or roof truss supports or anything else that has an end point on top of that wall that is using that wall as a support, then you likely have a load bearing wall
amazing info...thanks ..im building a wall and doorway ..non load bearing , wonder if i still need a cripple
It would not hurt to ass the cripple and build the wall as a load bearing wall, that way you have options later on if you need to modify the house and that wall changes to a load bearing wall. It's only a few pieces of wood, and better header over the door.
@@jeffostroff yes i will put it in thank you
Excellent video. Load bearing: bears the weight (load) (ball bearing - the balls are bearing the weight (load, force)). Stud-joist alignment - Ideally instead of "theoretically". They're all carrying some weight, but it is a significant load that is when it is considered "load-bearing". Otherwise they are referred to as a partition (load bearing walls can also partition a space. (2)2x and (1)4x - close, but not the same unless they were monolithic. "Out of phase" is used for - this has been misused by instructors using words/concepts that don't really apply (so loosely that it creates more confusion).
This explanation was so helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I learned something new. Great video
Thanks glad we were able to help you
Very good tutorial. Thank you very much instructor.
Thanks for the kind words on my video!
Great video. I learned so much.
Glad to help out
Those top plates are also used to tie intersecting walls together.
Thank you for this clear and concise explanation!
Seriously, best explanation of a load bearing wall video! Great job
Stupid question but how can I tell if it’s a load bearing wall if it has drywall over it?? Obviously without the drywall like yours, I can tell easily since you have explained it. But I don’t want to cut my drywall just to see. Will I have to use a stud finder?
Only way to tell for use is get above the stud wall in the attach, and if any rafters or ceiling joists have endpoints that end on top of it, then it is a load bearing wall
Very interesting this man is an expert !
If the joists in the basement run side to side and the joists in the attic run side to side, is it likely that the joists in the second floor deck run front to back?
thank you. very well explained,very informative.
Glad to help out, thanks for stopping by.
if there is no header beam in the wall then it is probably not load bearing. the top plate has nothing to do with bearing load nor does the truss layout.
Jerry, Reading some of the other comments on this video leads me to doubt the validity of the information. Personally, I think this is a subject where a professional should be called in. The stakes are too high for getting it wrong.
@@MrAkwaholic 8 Unfortunately you drink the Kool aid from a bunch of these carpenters that came on here and posted that are basically divided into 2 different statements that they commonly .make here, which one of them is that the top plate of the wall is used to tie the 2 walls together which is true but they're trying to tell me that my statement that says that you need that top plate there if you have a load bearing wall is incorrect. And this makes these carpenters who don't understand the International building code it makes them think that my information is wrong. Secondly you will see a number of carpenters come on here and point out the fact that just because the 1946 door frame wasn't built like THEY do it in he 21st century so they strongly assu.e it is not a load bearing wall a d tbey the fals6 accuse me of being wrong. The use the incorrect method to Determine if a wall is load bearing. You don't declare a wall load bearing based on the fact of whether or not the builder framed up the door correctly or not. So all of those guys leaving those comments or just stupid. You can't say that is not a earing wall just because it didn't have the vertical header and 2 pieces of wood sandwiched together and standing up sideways to form a larger header beam they think that means that this is not a load bearing wall. But they don't understand that there's a lot of bad carpenters out there and a lot of bad contractors who skirt the law and this house was Built-in the forties cheap for veterans and a lot of them didn't build a load bearing door frame the way they should have. So the only way to really tell that the wall is load bearing is to be able to get up into the attic and see if the rafters have end point on top of the wall or if there are any floor joists that end on top of the wall. So all of this has caused Hysteria between you and the other incorrect commenters causing you to doubt me. If you are concerned about somebody's house falling down because of what I say you need not worry because my method here will cause them to be more conservative and treat the wall like its load bearing in hence the house would not fall apart because they would use bracing you're listening to a bunch of naysayers.
jeffostroff . Precisely my point. There are different opinions as to what is right and what is not. I don’t think the potential consequences of an amateur doing it themselves is worth the risk. There are some things, most things in fact, that I’m happy to give a go but when it comes to my roof possibly collapsing and causing not only financial damage but also harm and injury,that’s where I draw the line and get a pro in. I’m happy to pay for the peace of mind. I’m not saying what you are saying is not right but there seems to be too many differing opinions to take the chance.
great job explaining it. Thank you!
No way that's a load bearing wall. If it is, your video should be how to not build a load bearing wall. The header would be considered insufficient and the lack of cripples directly above the jacks negate the transfer of any weight from the center cripple downward. If there were weight coming down on that center cripple it would simply cause that header to bow downward in the middle and curl upward at the jacks.
Correct. see my comments
Clearly explained. Thank you
Thank you!! Very easy to follow!
Glad you liked it. Take a look at some of our other videos too!
7:30
I won't be building doorways anytime soon... But I actually assumed that you would side nail the Jack stud into the king stud... Good to know. It makes sense that the weight would go into the Nail, instead of the floor.
Yes sir, I was thinking the same thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was talking about side nailing the header itself directly into the kingstud and leaving the Jack stud out completely ( which is crazy as hell). That leaves all the weight that's dispersed through the header, going directly to the nails. ALWAYS USE A JACK STUD WHEN CONSTRUCTING A HEADER!!!
Really informative - thank you!
Bianca, glad you liked it and thanks for watching our video!
I love the pointing. Are you wearing your GoPro on a helmet?
Thaylor Harmor Nope I was just hand holding my camera with one hand and pointing with the other hand
What a great teacher!!
Great video but that wall is not necessarily load bearing. Depends on the ceiling joist spans and sizes. Judging by what I can see you don’t have two joists overlapping on that wall. Therefore, that joist probably goes end to end or overlaps on another wall.
Very informative. Thanks. How 'bout using a pointer instead of your finger?
Great video. Thank you 🙏🏼
Great video. Helped me so much.
The info is mostly wrong :P
Great explanation brother!
Wow, you should be an instructor! Thanks you
Thanks, glad to help out!
Excellent video. I'm needing to replace a section of bottom plate (approx 8' in length) in my mobile home. This is on the exterior (load bearing??) Wall in my bedroom. Can I support everything by screwing some 2x4s to my floor joists then put a temporary "top plate" below the ceiling? I.e. a temporary wall inside of my wall that needs bottom plate replacement? I hope that makes sense. I would do those 2x4s on every floor joist and go up to the temporary top plate. Thank you
We have a video on repairing the bottom plate here: th-cam.com/video/nnJp4H8y1aA/w-d-xo.html just make sure to use a pressure treated lumber piece for the bottom plate, it is required by code.
@@jeffostroff thanks! I have removed a section of floor so could I just screw the temporary "wall studs" to the floor joists up to a temporary top plate?
Very Informative!
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Too, it may be worth mentioning that a load bearing wall typically had double studded corners, and vertical or diagonal bracing.
Absolutely wonderful thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I learn a new word today. load bearing, thank.
You bet
Thank you so much for this
U have some good points on explaning thing's, but U yourself need to learn what a "Load Bearing" wall is and how to detect one, I really doubt this is one, No load from above and ceiling joist don't intersect over it. Only thing you can't see is how far they span, double plate's have Nothing to do with it being Load Bearing...
Continuous joists don't mean it's not a bearing wall. We don't know enough about how this roof is constructed to say for sure what this wall is doing. Double top plates will likely be typical for all interior walls unless the builder is ordering custom length studs or cutting every single stud in a bearing wall. Both are more costly that just installing a second top plate.
It may or may not be load bearing. It's fairly common to have load bearing walls towards the center of the house..... that allows the builder to have ceiling joists that are less strong. It takes a lot more strength to span twice the distance without support. The answers would be up in that attic....
Thank you for explaining this!!!
great video, very articulate!
Scott Leas Thanks so much Scott I'm glad you liked the video.
No, we use double 2x10s with sleeper plates.
And what year code book is that.
MRC states all walls must consist of a primary and secondary top plate. Secondary lapping no less then 48 inches past any joint in the primary plate ,and any load must bear above not the stud but a properly sized wall collumn.
Keith Tomczyk What type of what are you using for the sleeper plates?
So I’m moving a interior door to my bedroom to the same wall but to the corner, does it matter if it is a load bearing wall or not?
Yes it always matters if the wall is load bearing or not so if you have to cut a hole in the wall 2 put your door in there you still have to run all of the support studs on either side of the door frame in order to allow the load to continue to get down to the floor
The stud above the top plate is called the crown
Usually in our area they just call it top plate
Say the roof is held onto the perimeter wall. What about the ceiling or attic floor support? Does a wall in the middle of the house hold up the ceiling or floor from the attic?
That has always been a debate among experts. Is there nay sagging of the middle of ceiling joists that would put some downward force on any wall in the middle that is not designated as a load bearing wall? I have always felt there is some downward force in a case like this. At this house, we had a wall in the kitchen that was not a load bearing wall because no joists ended on top of the wall, or crossed other joists over the wall. We only needed to make a door opening in this wall, and so we did preserve the wall altogether. If you remove the entire wall and replace it with a beam, now you have to worry about the end supports under the beam, if they are up tot he task of supporting the beam. So many unknowns.
@@jeffostroff there is a basement with a cinder block wall underneath this wall I am talking about. Removing this wall I am talking about would leave a huge ceiling or attic area unsupported which I think can be easily resolved with a metal beam.
@@thetommantom You'll also have to make sure whatever holds up that beam is up tot he task, preferably metal poles. Also under the basement to carry that load from the beam support pole down to the foundation will also be needed. Usually also metal support poles in the basement to support the floor joists above it.
I thought a load bearing wall is where the joists rest on at the ends, let’s say u have 3 walls, a joist runs over all 3. Do you count all 3 as load bearing or just the two end ones, ??
Yes your definition is more exact. The walls with joist endpoints are load bearing.
So is this the same principal when doing renovations in a mobile home?
good stuff, in the UK we do something similar too
Yes most countries use the International building codes
@@jeffostroff UK has is own though
QUESTION: what is the 1x board to the right of the door doing for the wall?
If you look at 0:14 in the video, it appears that one by board was put there to join two sheets of drywall together on the opposite side of the wall from the bathroom in the living room
@@jeffostroff That makes sense, in a jerry-rigged pennypinching oops we measured wrong kind of way.
I'd always learned that the lintels should be oriented the other way to maximize strength (more difficult to bend two 2x4s on edge than for two stacked 4x2s to flex).
Siegfried Braun yes that is how they do it now. Not everyone did it back in 1946 when this was built.
is it ok to remove a kitchen cabinet above a refrigerator if the wall is load bearing ?
Yes we do it all the time and replace with new cabinets you just want to make sure your screws go through the back of the cabinet on a support brace on the cabinet and all the way through the wall into a stud. What I like to do is put full depth cabinets over the refrigerator but when I do that I will then add a a thick panel on either side of the refrigerator to help support that cabinet and also make it look more professional. Many of the cabinet manufacturers will have these panels that you can buy and you just cut them to whatever size you need
very good information ..thank you
Awesome, I'm glad you like dour video!
Great video!
I found your video very informative. I just had my entry door replaced, it has sidelights that are attached (all one piece) When the contractor removed the old door and side lights it was in three separate pieces. when removing the sidelights, it was attached to one of the beams, which he removed along with the sidelight because it was to difficult to separate. He did not replace the beam, just added some long screws. When I questioned him he said that was fine. It didn't sit well with me, so I started doing some research. After seeing your video, I think I have a problem. Contractor finished the installation, put all the molding on and it looks ok, but I am concerned that he may have compromised the safety of my home. Do I have to take all the molding off to check? Would a stud finder help? What can you suggest? I appreciate any advice you can give me. (My home is on a slab).
Thank you,
Bob
Well it does not sound to me like your contractor pulled a permit, which is probably required in your area for an entry door. But either way not a good idea to remove a beam over a door. This would not be so bad if the wall is not a load bearing wall. But if it is a load bearing wall, the you need to make sure the studs on either side of the door are present and the 2 beams on top of the door as shown in this video. You can use a stud finder to start right at the top of the door to locate the first beam which is normally 1 1/2" thick, then stacked on top of the beam should be another beam, because on door tops they will usually use 2 pieces of 2 x 4 stacked on top of each other.
But what if it was a little wall for a closet space that you were wanting to take out for more space in your room?the wall going about 24in out from the main wall
Do rafters and roof be removed to raise wall height?
Yes, everything would move up. I would not ever want to try that type of operation
Hey anybody know if my side split home has a load bearing wall between kitchen and living room, we have trusses built in 1978 in the attic this wall is in the middle over top the basement beam but it is trusses and the spand is only 7 feet of wall, thanks
If the trusses have an endpoint on top of the wall it is a load bearing wall.
I thought that secound 2×4 on top was to tied the walls together?
Angel Loya It is there to tie the 2 walls together and it is also required for load bearing purposes. The building codes allow you to eliminate that top 2x4 if you use a 3 by 6 galvanized steel plate To tie the 2 walls together
jeffostroff All walls have the 2 top plates. Doesnt matter if its load bearig or not.
Snipe Stud00 right. thats how we did it. Every wall has a top plate.
In 20 years I have never built a wall that didn't have 2 top plates.
Angel Loya the second top plate is to tie the walls together.
Great vid
Thank you
Very informative video! I have a question. For two story buildings, will the load bearing studs always run from the ground to the second story ceiling? I want to check if a wall on the first floor is load bearing but I cannot see the floor joist between the first and second floor
Kevin, yes you should see a load bearing element stretch vertically from basement floor all the way upstairs to the top floor attic, that is the simplistic design method, unless they created some floor joist support system on the first floor that allows them to shift the point load somewhere else on the first floor, where it would then pickup with another stud wall or post on the first floor.
normally you use a beam that carries the load to the outside walls of the home so that the load can be sent into the footers of the house if not then every first floor would have the exact layout of the second floor because you would have to build walls under everything.. and then same with the basement
Bless you!!! I get it now!!!!
thanks for watching
Can you help me I have a question regarding joists. I have concrete walls in my house, but the joists are only 4" deep. I have plenty of space to make another room up there, but my question is. As my house is made of block concrete, what masonry hangers do I use to make the floor joists stronger to support a new floor. I understand that I could attach the new joists to the existing wooden ones. Can you advise me please.
Dave, you have a very complex engineering issue there. The ceiling joists for your first floor, will have to be replaced with floor joists to make the 2nd floor, because 2x4 ceiling joists you have now are inappropriate for use as floor joists on the second floor. Likely those will have to be 2x10 or 2x12, way stronger than 2x4. You should have an engineering company with you on this, as there are many complex variable for determining what size and what type of joists, or headers or beams you will need. They do have joist hangers for concrete, and maybe the engineering firm has better alternatives for you. For example, let's say all the joists line up and terminate up against the cement block wall. You could mount a long L-shaped angle iron piece of metal to the cement wall which then provides a shelf for all the joists to rest on, then you bolt them to the angle iron. These are the things the engineering firm will look into, along with asking is it allowed by code.
your 2x4 'joists' are collars. I am assuming this is a rafter roof and not a truss roof--else you would not have room for another room. If you were to do this, you would need to put in new floor joists that are the right size for the span. Depending on the span, these would move to your outside walls. The collars can stay as they would be below the floor joists in hight. (do not put the floor joists on top on the collars, just beside according to code.) Also, you may want to ensure your walls are on 16' centers if you hav4 2x4 construction before doing this.
I have a 14' wall that extends from the end of the wall on one side of the home, inward 14'.
This wall has a door, to a small room, that room had a wall separating it from the master bath, its gone.
This wall runs in the same direction as the ceiling joust and rafters. Would this 14' wall be a load bearing wall?
It does not sound like your wall would be a load bearing wall if it is running the same direction of the joists above it, but the true way to tell is if there are any floor joists above this wall whose endpoints are resting on top of the top plate of this wall, not just the joists are crossing the top plate, but if they end on top of the plate, then this wall would be load bearing. Also are there any vertical members of the roof framing support that are angled upward to the roof peak, which have endpoints resting on top of this wall? If either of those 2 cases are true, then you have a load bearing wall. You can also do what we did, cut up 2 x 4 blocks so that as you pull the bottom plate out from under each vertical stud, you hammer in this block behind it to hold up the stud and take the place of the bottom plate. Just have the block occupy only half of the stud bottom, so you can hammer in the new bottom plate, made from pressure treated lumber, as required by code.
He he “90 degrees out of phase” he knows his electrical too
You are very astute my friend.
I am a former Motorola electrical engineer, semi retired in 2003.
Thank you.
Is there any way to open up that doorway any? I have a doorway into my living room I'm about 90% sure its load bearing but I'd really like to open up the hallway straight into the living room is that doable?
There is a way to do that depending on how wide you would need the opening to be you would have to use to buy 6 headers that are standing upright so that the 6" part is the taller part and you would have to of them seem which together with the board and between them or you would have to have somebody engineer you a beam with adequate Jack studs and king studs on either side
Yep, without the jack studs your door might not open and close right for long after building.