# Shop Expansion. Is this a load bearing wall?



## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

I wasnt sure which forum to put this under but I was hoping the community could offer some advice.

My shop is a one car garage that measures about 15×8. I believe somewhere down the line one of the owners added on to the garage with an 8×8 room. The room is sheet rocked and has a nice window in it as well. Currently it houses my yard tools, but I would really like to use that extra square footage for my woodshop. I have been doing research about load bearing walls, and I wanted to get some advice on rather or not I could take out the wall dividing my shop from this extra space.

I would hope to do it myself if it is just a partition wall, but I do not want to make any disastrous mistakes. If it needs a professional thats ok… I just want it done right. I apologize for the poor quality of these photos.

The first picture shows the wall in question. The second picture is of the ceiling trusses. the third picture shows the header at the wall. The fourth picture is from the other side of the wall in the room.


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## 54curly (Jun 27, 2013)

It does not appear to be load bearing but it could be carrying some weight of the drywalled ceiling. it does appear to be the gable end of the existing building before the addition, gable ends are not load bearing except for the weight that is hanging directly on the framing. If you tear it out make sure to put a collar on the bottom of the rafters like the 2×6 running crossways in your 3rd picture or as a precaution you could run a header in place of the collar.


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

That's not a truss built roof. It stick built using raters with a ridge board. That end wall is not load bearing.

Edit: How is the roof framed into that end of the garage for that added on room? Does the room have an 'A' roof running the same direction as the garage roof?


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## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

Thanks for the advice curly. Let me check in when I get home and I will take some more pictures for you whyme. 
Also thanks for the info on the build of the roof.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Does the ridge beam stop at that wall? If it does then it's a bearing wall.


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## NoThanks (Mar 19, 2014)

I'm no carpenter, but it looks bearing to me.
If you took out the 2 top plates there is nothing holding up the ridge beam in that point.
I could be wrong though, wouldn't be the first.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Which direction are the ceiling joists going in the roof side of the building. If they are the same as the pictured side then you can put in enough bracing and supports to hold the ridge pole shown in photo 3. you can put in some temporary supports and remove the wall then set in an LVL beam to carry most anything if you need to do that.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Sort of is the best way to describe this scenario. If the wall is taken down, it is extremely unlikely anything would fall unless you try to do this with 20" of snow on the roof (I realize this is unlikely where you're at). Both 2×4's forming the double top plate are clearly not continuous as they need to be, the bottom of the two might be and that's the important one. It is very important that the rafters be tied into this to allow it to hold the bottoms of the rafters from pushing the walls apart. Whatever the attic space above the added on room consists of could also be indicative of whether or not the wall can be removed. If you can take more pictures, specifically of the top of the wall and bottom of the rafters, perhaps a better answer could be offered. Pictures of the inside of the attic room could be helpful too.


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## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

Thanks to everyone for the advice and help.
Big Yeti, here are a few more pictures of the set up. 


















These are the view from inside the attic on the addition


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## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

Sorry the images are turned, I cannot figure out why they are turning when I am uploading.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)




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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

If the wall in question is under that scuttle hole then no doubt it is bearing the weight of that ridge beam. I think the best you are gonna be able to do is remove the wall and leave a post in the middle.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

No matter what you can take the wall out. If 2×6 or 2×8 in the ridge is continuous through the wall you want to take out, you just need a ceiling joist in its place.

If it isn't continuos, you can put a couple 2×4s where the wall you want gone meets the outside wall to support a header or beam, which will support your roof brace. Do not know how to size the beam, header or brace. Just know how it's done.


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## 54curly (Jun 27, 2013)

Is the wall you are wanting to remove 15' long or 8' long? Rafters are built so that the majority of the weight is transferred to the exterior wall where they are seated. There is going to be some weight from the ridge board, most important is the collar or ceiling joist board to keep the exterior walls from bowing out, causing the ridge to sag. You can remove the wall up to the double plate and then install a header under the cripple studs, cut the bottom of the cripple studs off the same amount as the width of the header so that they set on the header. The header needs to set on top of the exterior walls, you will have to cut the angle of your roof pitch on the header material. If the wall is 8' long you will need a couple of 2×8's, if the wall is 15' long you will need a couple of 2×12's or a couple of LVL's. These suggestions are a little over kill if the wall is only 8' long. So that you know I have over 40 years of residential and commercial carpentry experience.


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## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

Thanks everyone for all of the advice so far. It seems to me like there is a mix of opinions and the short answer is, it sort of is. I think my first step will be to open up a door way through the middle of the wall by removing the the two middle 2×4's. Reassessing the situation after that is completed. Ideally, that wall would disappear and not just be a doorway.

Curly, the wall in question is 8 ft long.


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## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

When all else fails, do what Reagan would do: Mr Gorbecev… TEAR DOWN THAT WALL.

Add a couple stiff backs at the tops of the ceiling joists to support that last joist prior to demo. I'm a humble framer. I would not hesitate.


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

A temporary brace from the floor to the ridge beam will hold until you remove the wall and replace it with a strong doubled tie beam. The beam becomes the support. Remember *Crown UP*. Good luck and work safely.


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## RichardHillius (Oct 19, 2013)

If a previous owner added on a room that would imply that wall was the original exterior wall and load bearing. However from the one picture it at least looks like the ridge beam is continuous and hasn't been spliced. It's hard to tell without being able to look at it in person but my advise would be to try and figure out where the original exterior walls where and that should help you figure out what is load bearing and what isn't.


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## buildingmonkey (Mar 1, 2014)

The purpose of gable walls is to close up the end of the building, and not allow the walls to spread apart. If you want to put a header under the plates, use 2 2×12's. Or you could put braces in to make the end rafter into a truss. Look up fink trusses.


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## Crank50 (Jan 31, 2014)

For an 8 ft span you would have to do very little to take care of that load if the ridge beam is continuous.
I suspect, since the 8×8 room is an addition that the ridge beam is not continuous.
That only means you need a good joist, maybe a double 2×8, in place of that plate on top of the wall.
Or you could turn that rafter and plate setup into a truss by bonding the assembly together with a plywood covering. 
To be specific, let's say the top of that ridge beam is centered and 2 feet above the top of the wall studs. Cut a 3/4" plywood triangle, 8 feet long with a height in the center of the base of 2 feet. Cut out a notch in the top of that triangle large enough to fit around the ridge beam. Then nail that triangle to the rafters and the wall plates. Use 16d nails on 12" centers. Then you can remove the studs.


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