Identifying bearing and partition walls

Structure · Wood Frame Walls · printed page 67 (PDF page 68)

Book index entries

Bearing – and Partition Walls – Identification Partition – and Bearing Wall Identification Wall – Bearing and Partition – Identifying Wood Frame Wood Frame – Wall

Text in the illustration

collar tie
roof rafter
ceiling joist
bearing wall
partition walls have no structural elements beneath them
partition wall
exterior wall
bearing walls have foundations, beams, walls or columns beneath them and often have ends of floor or ceiling joists resting on them
floor joist
bearing beam
foundation wall
column
cross section

Generated explanation

A house cross section illustrates how to distinguish bearing walls from partition walls in wood-frame construction. Sloped roof rafters, a collar tie, and ceiling joists are shown above two framed stories and a basement. Interior bearing walls align vertically over a basement bearing beam and column, while exterior walls rest on foundation walls. A partition wall on the lower framed story has no corresponding structural support directly beneath it. The annotations explain that bearing walls have supporting foundations, beams, walls, or columns below and often support the ends of floor or ceiling joists.

Components

roof rafters collar tie ceiling joists bearing walls partition wall exterior walls floor joists bearing beam column foundation walls footings

Materials

wood framing