Walls – Safe to remove this wall and header

load-bearingstructuralwalls

I am hoping to remove a portion of wall along with a door header. I don't think it is load bearing but I just wanted to get some opinions.

I have had one contractor say it is, and another say it is "definitely not".

The red portion is what I would like to remove, and the yellow portion IS load bearing (basement is unfinished, so it is easy to tell).

House was built in the 60's. I should note that the floor joists run perpendicular to the load bearing (yellow) wall.

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Please see additional photos with the drywall removed. It looks to me as though it is non-load bearing. Is it clear to anyone that it is, or is not, load-bearing?

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Best Answer

You are not sure if the header above the doorway or the corner to the right of the doorway is load bearing. I have added yellow highlights to each of these.

enter image description here

Really there are only two ways to know for sure.

  1. Take off the drywall at both spots and take pictures of right above them in the attic and let us inspect.
  2. Get blueprints of the house to an engineer and have them inspect.

There is just no way you can guess based on this picture that the corner to the right isn't load bearing. In fact I would assume it is until you prove it different.

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