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Three Things You Can’t Ignore About Removing Load-Bearing Walls

If your home was built 40+ years ago and has never been remodeled, you are most likely living in a closed or shotgun floor plan.

To create an open floor plan, you’ll need to  remove at least one load bearing wall that is critical to the structural integrity of your home. So, if you choose to remove this type of wall you definitely want to ensure that the measures put in place to hold the load will maintain the structural integrity of your home.

Load bearing walls are designed to carry the weight of your home, from the roof to the foundation. When you remove a load bearing wall, that weight still needs to be supported so your home doesn’t collapse.

Here are three things you can’t ignore about removing a load bearing wall:

1. Hiring a structural engineer. Structural engineers are licensed professionals with the knowledge and expertise to determine how best to maintain the structural integrity of your home after the load bearing wall has been removed.  If the wall is removed, a horizontal beam or vertical post must be installed to ensure your home doesn’t cave in over time. A structural engineer will run some calculations to determine the appropriate size of the beam or post.  If the beam or post is too small, your home will collapse over time.
2. Obtaining the requisite permits.  If there was ever a time to have a contractor pull building permits, this is no doubt it.  You want the peace of mind in knowing that what the structural engineer has proposed deems your home safe. In order to get permits, your contractor will need to submit construction documents with the structural engineer’s calculations and drawings for review and approval.  Pulling permits will trigger an inspection of the work done at the appropriate time to ensure it was done properly.  This inspection will confirm that your home is deemed safe to live in.
3. The year your home was built – Most homes built prior to 1978 were painted with lead-based paint. Since the release of lead dust is hazardous, you’ll be required to hire a lead-safe-certified renovator to ensure safe removal and disposal of the paint.

These three things are the difference between having a home that holds up over time and a home that bound to collapse.  For information on what you should consider before removing an interior load bearing wall, check out this blog post.