[jb162]

We are planning on tearing out an existing wall between our dining room and kitchen to make our kitchen bigger. We just can't tell if the wall is load bearing or not. It runs parrallel with the rafters. Someone built soffits and we can't exactly determine if the 2x4's are for the load bearing wall or if it was something to do with how they built the soffits. In the picture you can see a shim between the 2, 2x4's, which makes us think that it is not a load bearing wall.

[DesignDiva]

The doubled up top plate might mean it is loadbearing, although parallel to the rafters might mean it isn't. Best to check with a professional if you're in doubt, or treat as a load bearing wall and install a header or beam if you want to remove the wall.

[Chuck]

Without seeing the room and the rest of your house, I wouldn't offer a definitive opinion one way or the other.

Having said that, the double header is the only thing you've mentioned that would make me think its bearing, though the presence of the shims makes me wonder about that - does that cable take a "turn" between the "plates", or does it run straight up through the top piece also?

Which way do the floor joists below this room run? Do all the rafters run the same way? What is the design of the roof of the house? Is it flat? Peaked? Any posts or columns in your basement? Are there any mechanical systems - plumbing, electric, HVAC - running through the wall?

So many questions...

One more - can you post some more pictures?

[jb162]

Hopefully these pictures help. The windows are in the back of the house and the structural pictures are taken from the outside of the soffit boxes looking in. There may be a gas line in the wall but I am not sure and will definately be careful if we decide to move forward. There used to be a gas oven on this wall. There are electrical outlets and a phone line in it too.The house is on a slab, so no joists. There are two pictures showing both sides of the wall. I believe the wall to be original but I am sure the soffit boxes are not, there is old wallpaper on the inside of the boxes. All of the rafters run from front to back, parallel with this wall. An exterior picture is included to give you an idea of the roof construction. Let me know if you need anything else specific. Thanks!

Also, that cable is the electric for the range/oven. It goes straight up through both "headers".

[kelly]

I have two words for you:

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.

You can afford a couple hundred smackers to get a professional opinion to 1) keep your house from falling down OR 2) spending $$$ to put in a header where you don't need to.

Sorry to be a buzz kill. structural engineer.

[Chuck]

Well done, jb.

My vote is for non-bearing, the key to me being the structure of the roof of your house (nice house, BTW). The true bearing walls of your dwelling are the front and back walls of your house, and any interior walls that run parallel to those walls - you could run a tank from one side of your house through the interior to the other, taking out everything in its path and not effect the structural integrity of your house.

One more thing - nice spider webs in that soffit! When you go to remove that, watch out for the little creatures - their bites contain a powerful wallop!

[ikitchensetc]

I vote non-load bearing also. It looks like the soffit was added later. If I am seeing this correctly, the top plate has drywall above it. You don't build a load bearing wall with a sandwich of drywall between it and the rafters. The drywall would crush under the load.