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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 03:57pm
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Good Afternoon,
I have been trying to get someone out to look at this, to answer my question. They want between $1000-$1200 to do so (it is a long drive). So, I thought I’d ask. Just wanted to knock down the upstairs room wall and open it up to the living room. Is this wall load baring, would it be safe to remove some or all of the studs? I do want to keep a few, like the one that supports the stairway of course.
Thank you!
John
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:21pm
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Hard to tell for certain from those photos, but it looks like there are multiple studs in the center (next to the brick chimney), and another multiple-stud spot on the right in the photos. I certainly would be reluctant to pull the one next to the chimney, as it could easily be load-bearing. I suspect the other one may not be load-bearing because of it's location (perhaps original framing for an interior door?), but one would need to know more about the overall structure of the cabin, particularly the roof, before pulling that out.
Best I can do from the photos, and my opinion only.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:33pm
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Okay, thanks for your input. I guess I should call around and get a few more estimates. I don't want it to fall in, but I would like to remove a few of those.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:37pm
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Those 2 photos can not supply enough info to do anything other than guess. To determine what is what, one really needs a personal inspection or a look at the plans that were used to build from. The load path from roof down to foundation needs to be verified for starters. Hence, the thousand dollar estimate.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 07:59pm
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I don't have plans, that would be nice. There is no room below the floorboard, kind of tells me it's not. However, I'll try and get someone out here. Thanks.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 08:00pm
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The studs under the ridge beam...take a first floor pic of what's under them. I dont see any beam under the rest.
How far of a drive is it that they want $1k for a estimate?
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 08:05pm
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5 studs together like that leads me to think it’s bearing a load.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 08:31pm
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Here are two more. I live one hour outside of town, in the mountains. They want travel time pay (there and back) and want to do a house inspection, quoted me $1100. We are sort of on a budget, retired and I am doing the work myself, it's just a wall. However, do not want the roof to fall in  . If I could remove a few studs even, I could make look nice, put a rail up, and stuff.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 08:39pm
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Looks to me like the stud next to the chimney is supporting the ridge beam. Goes all the way to the ground.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 09:30pm
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How about you treat it as a load bearing wall and re-engineer it to have support but with fewer, thicker uprights rather than just a stud wall. It would have better eye appeal and you could rest easier not wondering if/when it might fall in.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 11 Dec 2020 09:39pm
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I could do that, yes. That's a good idea!
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 05:57am
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The 5 studs together looks more like a lazy frame to me. Esp now that I see theres nothing under it.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 07:53am
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Quoting: Brettny The 5 studs together looks more like a lazy frame to me. Esp now that I see theres nothing under it.
Yeah might be, unless that beam under them is carrying a load. Hard to tell if its big enough for that or not.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 08:27am
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Your right. It does look a bit bent but it could be the camera. I also dont see a beam above the 5 studs but that could be hidden in the drywall. If no beam above it then it's really just holding up one roof rafter and not structural.
Do you plan on running a wood stove in this building? I can tell you that sleeping in an open loft with a wood stove is pure hell. Its always hot up there no matter how many fans you have.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 09:05am
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Are the 5 studs part of a doorway framing? It appears to be a door frame and if so, two of those studs are primarily there as drywall nailers. As Brett says though.... if there is a beam hidden in the drywall above....
Lofts aren't always hot.... depends on your summer lows. Here in Colorado on the hottest summer days the nights are in the low 50's.... open a window and sleep like a toddler (babies wake up too often!) Winter no problem crack a window... in relation to night time low... last night 6*F... window beside the bed open a couple inches... slept great!
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 10:03am
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The roof material between what looks like 2 walls is a small piece. Could be cut around out and replace easily. And give you a good look at what is there.
I really enjoy our upstairs in our cabin. Sure nice to have the extra space. I don’t overheat, it has windows and a door to open. And plan on doing it again.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 11:05am
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My '83-84 build had an open loft/cath ceiling with the ridge beam about 7.5'. The rafters fan down 12+' each way (so longer given the angle, a pitch that was almost too steep to walk on). That was a long span for my nominal 2x6 rafters! Not a big deal in the summer but in south central WI we can get some considerable snow load. So on each open side of the loft I ran some stub supports to a header at the open rafters. I dont know if they were technically a 'load bearing wall' but in my way of thinking (preventively) they effectively were.
All that to say, if you dont know all the as built construction of your structure you dont really know what it is all about.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 12:08pm
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Whats inside the sheetrock on bottom floor just to right of chimney, is that a load carrying support? Does it go down under crawlspace etc to a pad?. Could a support be holding up center of ridge? If that is the case, you could keep it in place while removing the rest. But you still need a builder/pro to put an eyeball on it.
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 01:06pm
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Yes, that goes down below the floor. It has to be supporting the ridge beam. The others stop on the upper floor. The other side of the chimney looks to be just supportive. As I wrote, certainly do not mind keeping some of the studs, would just like to clean it up a bit. I'll call around some more and see if I can get someone out here at a reasonable cost. We are too far out, that's the challenge with having a cabin in the woods I guess. Thank you for your response.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 12 Dec 2020 07:59pm
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1hr out side of a city is not that far away and a full house inspection isnt really needed. A home inspection here in high prices NY state is about $300-400
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pedersjo
Member
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# Posted: 13 Dec 2020 04:38pm
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amazing! if you live in the hills here folk tend to try to overcharge. The cheapest I could find was $200 an hour, drive time included, and a 1 1/2 hour minimum. So that adds up to $700, to answer one question. This is a structural engineer, going to try to find a contractor who is closer and hopefully cheaper. We have a ton of regs here, even in an unincorporated area, which is what I live in. My inlaws live in NY, they like it a lot. Never been there myself, but want to go one of these days.
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