Hi all, I’ll do more in depth research on this, but wanted your opinion first.
If you look at this photo of my house (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/16/19424053_d7afac4b07.jpg?v=0), you’ll see the “pushup” roofline in the front that is our master bedroom. The closets are tucked into the space under the lower roofline. They’re a reasonable size, but becuaes of other odd configurations of the space, I want to eliminate one of them and use the space for something else.
So – my question is this. Would the interior wall of the closet (the one on the right of the room as you look at the photo) be load bearing? So – this is the wall between the room and the closet – not the exterior wall next to the chimney. When I remove part of it, I plan to leave part of it to form a “nook” for shoes, but from about 4′ to the ceiling, remove it along the sloped ceiling line.
Does this make sense?
Mary
Replies
No it should not be bearing any load unless someone cut one of the rafters down the middle for some dumb reason. I would be certain it is not.
" Just don't stand under it when you take out the wall" , LOL.
I have to disagree. The wall in question very likely continues upward to support the dormer roof. How much of the load is being transferred to the adjacent rafter is impossible to say.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Seeing that you intend to remodel that space anyways, I would strongly suggest that remove some of the ceiling inside the closet to expose the structure above it. Then you will be in a better position to determine the wall's roll in supporting any other component of your house.
Gabe
There is no way to tell from here
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There are a few ways this could have been framed so go carefuly on this. There waays to deal with it, but that pan would happenn after things are exposed enoughto know what is and is not
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Thanks for weighing in everyone. As I suspected, the answer is "it depends." Would these images help?http://flickr.com/photos/mullering/41572968/in/set-912049/ (one closet)
http://flickr.com/photos/mullering/41572964/in/set-912049/ (it's mate on the other side)
http://flickr.com/photos/mullering/41572965/in/set-912049/ (close up, in case it helps).Cheersmary
None of the photos tell me what's going on. If I were remodeling that for you I would remove some of the sheetrock walls and ceilings, enough to see where the header(s) are and where the posts are. You should either hire someone local who is competent to evaluate this--a contractor if you want the work done, a structural engineer if you just want a determination made.
For terminology's sake, your house has what is called a "shed dormer". That's the upper roof over the bedroom that has the lower pitch, and the walls that support it.
Your first shot shows some studs running between the roof and the ceiling joists on the right (front) end, but none visible towards the left. But we can't see all the way to the left.If there are no such studs running down on the left (back) side then maybe you'd just need to add a pilaster of sorts near the front of the opening, to support the front end of the ceiling joist.It appears that the rafters over the dormer are newer wood. Is this dormer from a previous remodel?
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
Near as I can tell, what you are calling supports are only sidewall studs. The solid wood 3" down from ceiling indicates a double top plate to me and not a header right there. Just the style of framiong in the attic suggests this wall is not load bearing. I feel about 75% sure of this opinion. It often happens that further investigation and photos shows...It is also insane to have heat duct dumping into the closet so that is a strong hint that this closet was not always there but was added later.It would be good to see a photo of the ridge beam and what might be supporting it. That is one of the most common structural insufficiencies in this style of roofline. If it is inadequate, then this wall may accidentally be doing something structurally.
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I think that heat duct was coming up through the closet and then over to some other location in the BR.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
You are probably right there.They wouldn't really need much heat if they would insulate that attic!
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Insulate??? Why, there's gotta be at least three inches of insulation there!
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
It would be helpful if some more pics could be taken. Specifically ones that would show
A)The stud/ rafter connection in the attic ( Pic titled "one closet)
B) The rafter ridge connection (as Piffen suggested.) The wall between the bed/closet may be, and probably is, less important than what is above that in the roof structure. I myself think that the room layout and closets are original.
I say this because as a kid growing up I had cousins whose house (if my memory serves me today ) had the same roof and floor plan.
Yeah, there probably wouldn't be a plate there if this wall was not original. What kind of ridge and how it is supported is far more critical. I had thought that this wall might lend support to ridge, but so far it doesn't look like it.
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