So we have a late 60s 2 story home. We have 14 stairs from main level to the 2nd story. On one side of the staircase it's open for the first 5 stairs then the wall starts. On the other side it's all wall with out livingroo on the other side of the staircase wall. We are wanting to open te living room side to match. I looked in the basement and they doubled up on the floor joist on each side as shown in my Pic. Would they have framed the the main level the same,making it safe remove the part of the wall like we are waiting
House staircase framing
- Thread starter Reit38
- Start date
CraigStu
Well-known member
I think that the only sure way to know what you have is to remove some drywall. On the side you want to open up you could find the first stud from the corner and make a cut mid stud. If you make a really nice cut, say w/ a vibrating tool, you might even be able to use the removed piece as your patch if you decide not to proceed. My tool is old school corded. I picked this one to illustrate because the 2/3 moon cutter is fantastic for making straight cuts in drywall.
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firebirdparts
Well-known member
I claim it's very strongly unnecessary. I mean seriously unnecessary.
You're just talking about removing half a wall. Personally, I would be comfortable removing the whole wall, assuming the house is the typical compliant sort of house. If it's a 2 by 10 spanning 15 feet then I might be a little more careful.
You're just talking about removing half a wall. Personally, I would be comfortable removing the whole wall, assuming the house is the typical compliant sort of house. If it's a 2 by 10 spanning 15 feet then I might be a little more careful.
WisJim
Well-known member
I'm thinking that the question should be "Is that wall on the side of the stairs a bearing wall or not?" Do you know the direction of the floor joists of the second floor?
firebirdparts
Well-known member
(this was obvious from the question)
So anyway it's not load bearing, or I would be very shocked if it was. Where that joist ends, that is where you'll find the load. That's the whole idea of wood framing. The load comes down in the center of the house, but if the house was 40 feet across, expect to find that load twice.
However, that wall still tied together joists on the first and second floor. It is not load bearing, but it was capable of restricting sag of the second floor. For people who are really really careful building houses, it's customary when you're paying attention to run a joist (as opposed to no joist) under a non-load-bearing wall. I'm not a carpenter, so somebody who is a lot more opinionated than me might be a better person to comment on this practice. Here of course the question was about running two joists.
I would be more concerned how the second floor was framed. I would assume it is similar to the first floor, but you never know.
Chances are, it is, but I would do a little digging, remove a bit of the ceiling to make certain. Another issue is, what is in that wall? Outlets? Light switches? Duct work? Any of those will complicate things.
Chances are, it is, but I would do a little digging, remove a bit of the ceiling to make certain. Another issue is, what is in that wall? Outlets? Light switches? Duct work? Any of those will complicate things.
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I Do have a light switch that run the stair case light. I'm assuming it goes straight up into the attic and over to the light. Still trying to figure this part out. Will probably have to have a post on each side of the bottom of the staircase case and incorporate the switch into the post
CraigStu
Well-known member
firebirdparts, I am not argueing with you, just trying to learn. How do you look at the picture of a tiny area of the house and decide the wall is not load bearing?
duneslider
Well-known member
Well, the pictures shown indicate the floor joist run parallel to the stairs. More pictures of the area would be good but it sure looks like those walls would not be load bearing if they are running parallel to the stairs.
firebirdparts
Well-known member
Houses are pretty much all the same. I already described what they're like, but I left out the outside of the house is load bearing, and the joists extend to there.. 99% of the time, the joists will run away from the outside of the house about as far as they can and there you'll find the other end of the joists. There will be something load bearing where the other end of the joist is. This is just how it is. It has to hold up ALL OF THEM so whatever is there will be running the other way (perpendicular to this wall).
When he takes that wall out, if I'm wrong, he'll know, because he'll see the end of the joists.