Flip Tips Episode 1: Load Bearing Walls Part One

Old houses and load bearing walls! If you’re buying an old house that features an open concept floor plan, it’s very likely that walls were removed at some point. How do you know if a wall that was removed may have been load bearing and if so, whether it was properly removed? Here’s a few things to consider:
First, crawl up into the attic and see how the joists are running. The joists are the pieces of lumber that run just above the ceiling. Load bearing walls will almost always be perpendicular to the joists - but not all walls perpendicular to the joists are load bearing. You may need to remove some plywood walkway sheeting and/or insulation to inspect these joists. Here’s what to check for:
Do the joists run continuously above a certain wall or header, or do the end? If they end on top of the wall or header, it is load bearing. (If you didn’t know - a header is just a place where load is carried by a piece of lumber instead of a wall. Above every door and window is a header, for example.)
Also check for structural elements coming down from the roof on to the ceiling joists, like the studs that I point out towards the end of the video. These studs are there for a reason - they provide support to the roof. They are transferring load down to the ceiling joists, and 2x4 or 2x6 joists are typically not strong enough to bear that much load without support. They must be supported by a load bearing wall or a header even if the joists run continuously. There may be other examples but these are the most common.
Now - a bit about the LVLs that I pointed out in the video: LVL stands for laminated veneer lumber. An LVL is many pieces of wood glued together into one, much like plywood consists of many pieces of wood that are glued together. By gluing together many pieces of wood, we make the wood much stronger than it would be if it were a single piece of wood. An LVL is much stronger than a single piece of lumber, and LVLs must be used when spanning a distance of more than 12 feet because standard lumber is not very good at carrying load across a long distance. (This is a general rule of thumb - you can check the international building code if you want to see exactly when an LVL must be used and how thick it needs to be. Sometimes an LVL must be used for spans shorter than 12 feet, especially if it is supporting weight from a second story above.)
So now you know how to identify where there needs to be a load bearing wall or a structural header and whether a normal piece of lumber may be adequate to support the load where someone may have removed a load bearing wall to open up an floor plan
So - how can you tell if an LVL was actually used? Check back for the next video in this series where I show you the visual difference between an LVL and a standard piece of lumber and what to look for when you are visually inspecting a house! There are many home flippers who do not pull permits and/or do not know how to renovate homes the correct way - you must protect yourself and your investment by carefully inspecting these properties!
Disclaimer: Pat is not a general contractor or licensed home inspector. Please consult with licensed professionals before starting your own renovation project or purchasing a home.