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Are you considering a home remodel? Many projects like these require removing one or more walls. Removing these walls can give you a fresh new look and make your space more usable for everyday life. However, there are a few things that are involved in removing a load bearing wall.

What Is A Load Bearing Wall?

A load bearing wall simply means a wall is supporting the weight of something above. Depending on the size and structure of your home, most of the walls are supporting something, whether it be the roof, the ceiling, or the second floor. 

Why Remove A Wall?

There are several reasons to remove a wall from your home. Some people choose to remove walls when they remodel because they don’t like how “sectioned off” their house is. Once the separating walls are removed the floor plan really opens up and looks more modern. Another reason people choose to remove load bearing walls is to capture more house square footage by closing in part or all of the back porch/patio. This also increases your property value!

Removing A Load Bearing Wall

Since load-bearing walls are essential for your home’s structure, removing them will take time and careful planning. If you’re considering removing these walls in your home, here are some things to consider first.

Hiring A Contractor

The first thing to consider before you get to work is whether you will hire a contractor or do the work on your own. Many homeowners hire professional help since removing load-bearing walls is a major project. Professional contractors have plenty of experience in these projects and give you advice for your home remodel.

One thing that may help you decide is calculating the cost. Home remodeling projects will cost you regardless of the size. Take some time to estimate the cost of removing your walls. A professional company can help you with this as well.

Researching Permits

Most cities require a permit for major home remodels such as patio installations, wiring and plumbing work, and removing load bearing walls. Before you start breaking down the wall, research permit requirements and inspections.

Contact your cities permit agency and they can help you determine if you need to pull a permit for your project.

Using Temporary Support

Before you remove the wall, you’ll need to use temporary support to hold up the structure. You’ll need to add a temporary support wall to either side of the framework of the load bearing wall. This temporary support wall will keep everything supported until you install a replacement support structure(generally a beam. 

Installing A Beam

It’s important to know if you remove a load-bearing wall and install a structural beam, this  re-locates the weight somewhere else. If done properly, redistributing the weight in this way will keep your home’s structure intact. If a beam is not installed properly or if it is too small for the load it is carrying, there can be huge consequences.  

If you need help removing a load-bearing wall from your home, Load Bearing Wall Pros can help. We have helped thousands of homeowners in Texas and we can help you too. Give us a call today.