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Design Dilemma entry

IS THIS COLUMN LOAD BEARING?

6 years ago

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

photo 4

photo 5

photo 6
IS THE COLUMN LOAD BEARING? I have a column that is in my living room entry. Today I went into the attic to see if it could be load bearing. I do not have a basement. Please see the attic photo of the board that runs across from my living room wall to the front entry. Arrow is pointing up in pic 1. In pic 1 the attic board runs above the ceiling joists that are perpendicular to this board. It runs from the back wall of living room to the front entry. I can see under this board. See the red arrow pointing up. It is thin and doesn't appear to be resting on anything. To the far right of pic 1 where the air duct is located , the location is kind of dark but it is the column location which is just in front of the attic board and beyond the vertical boards in the front of pic 1.

You can get a better look at pic 2 and 3 that shows the column location by locating the red circled area. In pic 4 of the attic red arrow pointing down and pic 6 of the wall are the same which I think are load bearing.

The interior pics of 5 and 6 show the column location in the front entry. Pic 5 air register is about 5 feet from the column. Any thoughts are welcomed. Thanks.

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Comments (3)

PRO
GN Builders L.L.C
6 years ago
Hard to tell anything from your pictures and all that insulation being there. You should call a contractor or an architect to evaluate this closer and see if the column is carrying any loads.

Good luck
M T
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Photo 7 shows joists exposed. the left joist extends to cornered wall see photo 9

C. column location
Photo 8 shows the vertical brace on cornered wall and back living room wall
Photo 9 shows the vertical brace on cornered wall in living room extension of joist in photo 7
Photo 10 shows vertical brace back living room wall. Notice B. 2x8 resting on joist - this is the thin board that rests on single joist extending from back wall living room to beyond column A. shows double joists on back wall in living room

Does adding any of these photos show if the column is load bearing?
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It sure looks load bearing to me. It is holding the porch up. I am assuming there are more of them? I would replace them altogether and put in some beefier ones, those are really too skinny and not all that attractive. A square one, would look much nicer. Since there is no support on that corner, this is something I would have done ASAP. That corner could very well collapse, and if you have any others (I cant see full porch), they should be changed out with beefier ones too.
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M T
Original Author
6 years ago
I came across two old photos when we built our house and neither shows a column in place during the framing of the house. So now I think I have solved the mystery column is not load bearing after all.

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