Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

Go outside and look at the roof, if you have trusses, you will be able to
tell which way they run based on the slope of the roof... You will want the
ridgeline of the roof to be perpendicular to your wall.
If you have a stick framed roof, you should get in the attic and take a
look.

Dave



wrote in message
ps.com...
Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

Oh that would be such a great suggestion if I didn't have a flat
roof. Whoever built my house made some very interesting choices. It
resulted in a great looking house but a little bit of a puzzle. While
it is apparent that there is some sort of space between the ceiling
and the roof - there is no actual "attic" or entrance.

It's frustrating!

Thanks


On Feb 13, 7:14 am, "Zephyr" Someguy@an email address.com wrote:
Go outside and look at the roof, if you have trusses, you will be able to
tell which way they run based on the slope of the roof... You will want the
ridgeline of the roof to be perpendicular to your wall.
If you have a stick framed roof, you should get in the attic and take a
look.

Dave

wrote in message

ps.com...

Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

wrote:
Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume

No.

it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?


A good stud finder and I would back that up by drilling a small hole
next to it and use a wire to locate the joist.


Thanks!

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Feb 13, 5:57 am, wrote:
Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

You are going to be patching the ceiling when you are done anyhow.
Cut a small hole, big enough to pass the mirror end of an inspection
mirror through. That plus a flashlight shining up onto the mirror
should get you a good look.

Harry K

On Feb 13, 9:33�am, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:
wrote:
Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. *I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. *Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. *I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume

* * No.

it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? *If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

* * A good stud finder and I would back that up by drilling a small hole
next to it and use a wire to locate the joist.

Thanks!

--
Joseph Meehan

*Dia 's Muire duit

Just curious, Joseph- based on what the OP says, how could this wall
be load bearing?(If it's unsupported below.) I'd agree with you it's
a good idea to check it out anyway before proceeding. You thinking
there may be cross members spanning basement joists, supporting this
wall?

On 13 Feb 2007 05:57:00 -0800, wrote:

I would have to agree with SEV. For it to be a load bearing wall, it
would HAVE to be supported from below. You can look in the attic all
you want, but for it to support any loads, it would HAVE to bear the
weight on something below. It is not a load bearing wall.

I have seen may Sears (craftsman cottage) homes over the years, but
yours is the first that I have heard of with a flat roof.

-Lee



Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

On 13 Feb 2007 05:57:00 -0800, wrote:

Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

You're willing to move an entire kitchen wall,
but you're afraid to cut a hole in the ceiling?

Sev wrote:
On Feb 13, 9:33?am, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:
wrote:
Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume

No.

it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

A good stud finder and I would back that up by drilling a small
hole next to it and use a wire to locate the joist.

Thanks!

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Just curious, Joseph- based on what the OP says, how could this wall
be load bearing?(If it's unsupported below.) I'd agree with you it's
a good idea to check it out anyway before proceeding. You thinking
there may be cross members spanning basement joists, supporting this
wall?

The rule is never assume. In this case what if that wall contained a
structural beam supported at either end? Who knows? Which is the point, I
don't know and the OP does not.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

wrote:
On 13 Feb 2007 05:57:00 -0800, wrote:

I would have to agree with SEV. For it to be a load bearing wall, it
would HAVE to be supported from below.

That is an assumption. One that will almost always be right. Almost.

You can look in the attic all
you want, but for it to support any loads, it would HAVE to bear the
weight on something below. It is not a load bearing wall.

I have seen may Sears (craftsman cottage) homes over the years, but
yours is the first that I have heard of with a flat roof.

-Lee



Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

On Feb 13, 11:33 am, Goedjn wrote:
On 13 Feb 2007 05:57:00 -0800, wrote:

Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!

You're willing to move an entire kitchen wall,
but you're afraid to cut a hole in the ceiling?

Afraid? I would hardly say so. I was just looking for the least
destructive way to go about this because if it was load bearing, we
are not doing any to the wall and everything would have stayed as it
is. I did end up cutting a hole and no, it isn't load bearing, as I
suspected.

Lee -

My house is very strange indeed - is it a true sears craftsman
cottage? No, it is actually a strange mix of styles but where I live
(denver) is most often describe as a craftsman. Picture an interior
with all the details, woodwork and built-ins of a craftsman but an
outside that matches the late 19th century row homes that it sits
along side with a little dash of a art deco exterior details for
kicks. It is clearly something that someone built without the aid of
traditional plans. We get comments on how unique it is all the time
but the flat roof is a pain.

Thanks for everyone's help - it wasn't load bearing at all.


On Feb 13, 10:16 am, wrote:
On 13 Feb 2007 05:57:00 -0800, wrote:

I would have to agree with SEV. For it to be a load bearing wall, it
would HAVE to be supported from below. You can look in the attic all
you want, but for it to support any loads, it would HAVE to bear the
weight on something below. It is not a load bearing wall.

I have seen may Sears (craftsman cottage) homes over the years, but
yours is the first that I have heard of with a flat roof.

-Lee

Hello -

I want to remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in my
craftsman cottage. I have checked the joists in the basement and the
run parallel to the wall. Also, this wall is not supported in the
basement. I have no access to an attic to check the ceiling joists.
Am I safe to assume it is not load bearing based on what I have found
in the basement? If not, is there some way to confirm the ceiling
joists without having access to an attic?

Thanks!