Load Bearing Wall Framing Basics - Structural Engineering and Home Building Part One

Best video on here!!!! Thank you for your patience in explaining this topic and using pictures and a common term we all can understand.

I'm hoping my comment will help in some way, sometime, to anyone watching your videos. If a home owner can get their hands on any (or preferably all) of the paperwork that has to do with the building of their original structure (and/or subsequent additions), they'd have a gold mine of structural info. I've read through many of the questions here - I grew up around a truss company, my parents still own and operate a truss company in Central Florida and I worked as a truss designer and engineer for over a decade. I know GC's keep info on houses built for a long time and that info could have (should have) the engineering sheets for each and every truss on the home. The engineering for the trusses will show exactly what is bearing where, what is holding up what, how much of the loads were overkill (this happens far more often than folks might think, we called it CYA when I was in the business) and so much more. If only the truss company name can be found, the home owner can contact them directly and ask for a copy of the engineering. I'm sure more info is kept longer these days since nearly everything is digital now so folks have a far better chance of actually locating their home's building history. I feel as if I'm stating the obvious but I can't tell you how many times I've regretted not saying what's on my mind (if it's legit and possibly helpful) only to find out that I should've said something :-/ I believe what you're doing here is truly terrific considering you're offering advice and lessons that most people charge hundreds and thousands of dollars for. By the way, I want to add that the figures and crazy numbers all over engineering and floor plans and such is very complicated and I want to encourage folks to not feel inferior or stupid because even the best truss designers can't tell you what much of it indicates. As home owners who've paid already for the services rendered, I'd suggest that a home owner request a sit-down with the affiliated engineer for either the truss company or the GC, and ask as many questions as it takes to understand what you want to know. Good luck! ~jlt

so glad your informing and intimidating on this subject. I've seen contractors remove too many interior walls and wonder why their 2 story project is cracking up. should do one onload bearing and non load bearing trusses to inform as well.

Love this video. I've been out of new home construction for over 8 years and I'm trying to get back into it. Any advice is more than welcome. Thx

Hey Greg, Awesome videos really informative learned alot from them..... Thank you Greg for taking the time to put these videos together!

I own a simple mid ‘50’s ranch style home. A basic rectangle with a load bearing beam running the length along the center line of the house. Does not get much simpler!

By the way I just wanted to say nice video it was very well done and I truly could see what you were trying to say when you spoke about the profile of the schematic structure you were speaking about when you were trying to explain how the weight in a building transfers it's weight.Thanks for listening

Great work man. Cant believe you did all this 10 yrs ago. Just Amazing.

These non-load bearing walls help to minimize or decrease buckling phenomenon of the ceiling. They also help the stiffness of the building, at the axis that goes along the length of these walls.

Watched a part of your video and this is basic engineering that we learned in HS and helping friends and family build sheds and additions.

It is a very intersting video, it shows whta we never tough existed in construction ( load distributon) thank) you

great idea! can't wait to see the whole series

Your most popular video. I am building a passive solar shed/skillion/mono slope roofed cottage. With block piers and masonry north wall and post and beam square notched timber frame. Figured I would watch your most popular video and leave a comment.

This is really good to understand how structures work. Thank you sir.

Great job on schooling us. My house was built mid 50s. small dining room had a wall but ex took it out and made it a bar with countertop. door frame remained. I remove the bar area so that has opened the dining room to flow into the kitchen. The door frame remains. Is the one stud that I need to remove (looks like a 3×3) load bearing? House is 1 1/2 stories. Thanks for any help.

Hey, great video! i have a question about one of the walls on the bottom floor of my split foyer. i dont think it is load bearing but when i removed the dry wall i noticed about a 2 foot header(that appears to be a door that was covered during remodeling) im a little apprehensive about removing now. i have pics and videos of the ceiling and wall if you could help me out I'd really appreciate it!

You've got a good point about the concrete footing, but this is how we've been doing it for years and there are plenty of homes built in the United States where a non-bearing wall connects directly to the ceiling joists.

Didn't mention sheer walls.  They don't carry gravity load, they keep the house from being blown over by a storm.  You don't want to remove one of them either.

This was an awesome example and thank you very much!

Well-explained, thank you!