All Forum Posts by: Anthony Theokary

Quote from @Anthony Theokary:

Quote from @Rich O'Neill:

I have asked lot's of structural engineers and architects about that wall in the back and often it is there to brace the "shear" load. When you took the wall out, was there any lateral bracing (2x4 on an angle or something like that)? Based on the picture, it doesn't look like it, but I can't really see. If there was, you should definitely be careful.

Shear walls are meant to keep a building that looks like this: l_l from looking like this /_/ when wind or other loads bear on the building like this: >l_l

The front and back walls might do this sufficiently, but that is why you need an engineer to look. 

 It’s a row home. There are houses on either side of the structure. 

Right but the whole combined structure of all of the “units” still needs shear strength. If you take it out in your unit, it weakens the whole row. 

I have asked lot's of structural engineers and architects about that wall in the back and often it is there to brace the "shear" load. When you took the wall out, was there any lateral bracing (2x4 on an angle or something like that)? Based on the picture, it doesn't look like it, but I can't really see. If there was, you should definitely be careful.

Shear walls are meant to keep a building that looks like this: l_l from looking like this /_/ when wind or other loads bear on the building like this: >l_l

The front and back walls might do this sufficiently, but that is why you need an engineer to look. 

Again, I would hire someone to come take a look in person. Theres no reason to make assumptions or guess online with a potential structural issue. That said theres a chance when they took out the old exterior wall to do the extension they put this wall up as a load bearing wall that was 1ft away to have enough space in the kitchen. Does the 2nd floor still end at that location or was it extended as well? 

Forget the SE, just ask a good GC to look at it and save some money. The pictures are too difficult to interpret....but where the red and blue arrows are, that wall could be bearing. It looks like plywood on that wall(?) which would indicate a shear wall and would definitely be load bearing.

But don't take advice from a bunch or people on a forum!

I would have a structural engineer come take a look and confirm either way. But you really should do that before you rip down a wall rather than take a few folks advice. 

That being said alot of the philly row homes had these 1st floor additions to add a kitchen to the rear. The ones Ive come across were load bearing walls. It looks like yours was an exterior wall where the brick stops and the cement block starts.                     

Similar kitchen addition where we put in two metal L beams from party wall to party wall  

No one can tell for sure from the photos you posted, so don't take anyone's advice in this thread as gospel based on your photos. Get someone who knows what they're doing to look at it. 

(But don't invite the City building inspector inside if you are doing a bunch of unpermitted work!)

That being said, you should be able to tell by looking at it where the bearing points are. 

For example: Clearly the joists in the foreground bear weight on the wall to the left. What we can't tell from the photos are whether the joists all run in the same direction though the kitchen to the back wall:

If the joists in the kitchen look just like the ones in the foreground, then they most likely bear weight on the walls to the left and right, just like the ones in the foreground. If they don't, then you need to figure out what is bearing and where. 

I will say we erred on the side of caution and ended up hiring a structural engineer to confirm for $350.  For me, it was worth the extra assurance.  

It's hard to say without pictures, but you could see if your area offers consultations through the building department.  We met with ours here and the consultation saved us a lot of time and money, not to mention potential liability issues - one of our walls was load bearing and the other was not.