Load bearing wall?

I have 2x4 rafters running a span of 7’6†from the floor to the knee wall. The rafters were supported every other rafter at the knee wall. I plan to add 2x4s to fill in the rest. These would be 16†o.c.

The next span is from the knee wall to an existing wall that I would like to partially remove. This span is 8 feet. I’d like to move the wall in towards the peak of the roof about 4’6â€, but I’m concerned that the existing wall is load bearing. I would be removing about 5 studs from the wall.

The span from the wall I’d like to move and the peak is also 8’.

Any suggestions on how to properly support the roof when I remove this wall?

I’ve attached some pictures of the area. Let me know if you need additional information.

Thanks

I would get an engineer involved on this one...
Structural work is not something you want trusted to a bunch of strangers on the net...

nelsonba said:

I have 2x4 rafters running a span of 7’6” from the floor to the knee wall ...
The next span is ... 8 feet. I’d like to move the wall ...
The span from the wall I’d like to move and the peak is also 8’.

Any suggestions on how to properly support the roof when I remove this wall?

Click to expand...

I would probably sandwich the affected rafters with 2x6s from the knee wall to the new wall. If you now have 8'-spanned 2x4 rafters doing what they need to do, sandwiching them with 2x6s will certainly be more than enough to increase the 8' span by just over half.

markts30 said:

I would get an engineer involved on this one...
Structural work is not something you want trusted to a bunch of strangers on the net...

Click to expand...

Ditto! Get a structural engineer involved and permit if necessary.

IF you're talking about the wall with a doorway in it, and the third pic is a closeup (no top plate, studs toe-nailed to the rafters, right about where the collar ties are attached... that definitely isn't load-bearing.

Counter-intuitive as it may seem, the load at that spot is acting the other way: not against gravity, but against the rafters spreading apart; collar ties are in tension.

If that doesn't make sense to you, call an engineer. A few hundred bucks will get you an answer you can be sure of.

Yes

That is the wall, and there is no top plate.

Makes sense that it isn't load bearing, but I think I'm going to sister 2x6s anyway to make room for more insulation. If it's overkill, great.

So, are you saying that there is no need for that wall, or the knee wall because the load on the rafters is pushing outward?

If that were true, and I took out both walls, the 24' span from floor to ridge 2x4s along with the collar ties would be sufficient to support the roof?

nelsonba said:

So, are you saying that there is no need for that wall, or the knee wall because the load on the rafters is pushing outward?

If that were true, and I took out both walls, the 24' span from floor to ridge 2x4s along with the collar ties would be sufficient to support the roof?

Click to expand...

I would repeat...

markts30 said:

I would get an engineer involved on this one...
Structural work is not something you want trusted to a bunch of strangers on the net...

Click to expand...