Atlanta Home Inspection-certified member ICC,

A load bearing wall can be tough to identify. Determining load bearing walls and how best to go about removing a load bearing wall.Bearing walls have a mystic aura all their own.All walls tend to look the same. Remove a load bearing wall without adequate re-support and all sorts of things may drop down on you.Keep in mind that bearing walls are ones that act as a structural element within a house or home. They typically are carrying and transferring a load from one point to another and then  get transmitted to a foundation. Dead loads are very well hidden and not all bearing walls are found in the middle of a structure.The exterior walls on houses that support the roof are primary bearing walls. Not all exterior walls are bearing walls though.interior walls that run perpendicular to the run of the floor joists above and below are candidates for bearing walls. Another surprise one can find in a wall is a column or post. The wall itself may not be a bearing wall but it is hiding a crucial support member.A interior wall in this building appears to be non-load bearing because the roof structure is all modern trusses.Removing a load bearing wall is not for a amauter. A load bearing wall can support tons of weight.Load bearing walls often run perpendicular to the run of floor or ceiling joists that rest on top of the wall. However, beware of walls that run parallel with floor joists. They can obscure hidden posts or columns.The most common approach is to install the new beam below the floor/ceiling joists. To install the beam you need to build a temporary support wall on either side of the wall you are removing. Hold the temporary walls back about 30 inches from each side of the old wall. This will give you room to work. Be sure to build your new beam and slide it up against the old wall before you build your last re-support wall.Wood siding has been used on houses for hundreds of years. Engineered wood siding is an improvement on traditional siding as it allows us to make the most of our natural resources. If you want the best exterior wood siding, look for wood that contains natural preservatives and has vertical grain.Your wood siding will avoid water problems and damage if you follow some important tips. Seal all raw wood, including edges of wood siding, use building/felt paper beneath the siding, and use proper nails and nailing technique. The biggest mistake is the failure to seal woodsiding  before it is installed.

The failure to install felt or other water resistant building paper or house wrap beneath wood siding is a huge mistake. These papers are necessary to adequately protect the wood framing members from water damage. Water can easily find its way behind wood sidings.The failure to install felt or other water resistant building paper or house wrap beneath wood siding is a huge mistake. These papers are necessary to adequately protect the wood framing members from water damage. Water can easily find its way behind wood sidings.