Dont Know Remodeling

A wall frame is the building component that not only separates one room from the adjacent, it supports the ceiling and any other rooms above it. A floor frame disperses the weight of the entire house, including all wall frames, and its contents evenly over the foundation. The foundation disperses all weights over the ground on which the house sits.

There are two types of walls in a house, each named for what they don: loadbearing or non-loadbearing. A loadbearing wall is one that is important to support the house’s weight. If the wall were removed the house above it could shift or even fall in. A non-loadbearing wall is functional, but not as a support. It could be removed without structural damage. Often, single story homes only have the perimeter walls and one long central wall in the center that are designated load bearing. Two story homes (and homes with heavy roofs) require more support so more walls on the first floor are considered loadbearing.

Determining whether a specific wall is bearing or non-bearing isn’t always easy, so you may need a building inspector or contractor to identify them before you try to remodel them. Obviously, it’s important to know which is which before you start removing or modifying walls in a bathroom.

Even if you’re not installing a new wall you may be remodeling it to include a new window and need to know how walls are framed. Here are the components from bottom to top: