How to Find a Load Bearing Wall in a Ranch Home
Load bearing walls are aptly named because they carry the weight of the roof or the above floors in a home. Remodeling plans may require that you cut into or knock down a load bearing wall, which could damage the entire home. Most exterior walls are load bearing. Inside, many of the walls will also be load bearing. Previous remodeling may have shifted the weight of the home from an original load bearing wall to a non-load bearing wall. If your home was ever remodeled, consult a professional to identify load bearing walls. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Go down into the basement or crawl space of the ranch style home.
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Look for support beams in the basement or crawl space. These beams could be made from metal, concrete, wood or steel and are often 3 inches in diameter. The load bearing walls in the home are often directly above these support beams.
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Go up into the attic and look for the joists. The joists are long, parallel support beams made from wood or steel. Load bearing walls will run perpendicular to the joists.
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Look for two joists that join together. Often these intersecting joists are placed above load bearing walls.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a flashlight to help spot support beams and joists.
If you can't identify which wall is close to the beams and joists, using the butt of the flashlight, knock in areas where you identify the beams and joists. Ask another person to listen for the knocking to help identify which wall upstairs is closest to the sound.
