Take down a wall in my house?

Question

How do I find out which of my walls are load bearing walls and which are not?

Answer 1

look in your attic see if your house has trusses if it does most trusses are designed to carry the load of the entire roof therefore most walls that have trusses that span the full distance are not load bearing if you have a hand cut roof it is likely most walls that run the opposite way  of the ceiling joist are this can be determind by also where the joist are ending and spliced together .Get a goof framer to give it a look it will be easier for you  

Answer 2

Your load bearing wall or walls support the weight from your trusses, the trusses stretch across your structure and the load bearing wall will run under the trusses, where as those trusses sit atop the wall, hence the name load bearing wall,  

Answer 3

Load bearing walls typically run perpendicular to your joist in the ceiling and floor.  They almost always have some structure underneath them to carry the load of the wall, and the load of what the wall is supporting.  

Start at the bottom, and work your way up.  Follow the piers, etc. in the foundation, and the walls above them are usually your load bearing walls.  

However, if you are contemplating ripping out a wall, consult with someone who understands structure engineering, and let them give the wall a look before you take the wall down.  

Answer 4

Clear everybody out of the house.  RIGHT NOW!