How do I air seal my knee wall?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: And then put a piece of foam board over them to air seal them. But before I do that I'm going to go ahead and spray some spray foam around all these penetrations.

Are knee walls necessary?





Knee walls are not found in all attics, and they are not absolutely necessary. But they are awfully good to have. If your attic space is framed with rafters and is unfinished, it has a triangular shape.

Are knee walls load bearing?

These low walls help define the living space by creating vertical surfaces between the sloping rafters and the finished floor. They’re typically framed with 2x4s and built 4-feet-high so they can easily be covered with full sheets of drywall. In most cases a knee wall is not a load-bearing partition.

Can you remove a knee wall?

If there is, that wall is probably a load-bearing wall, making the knee wall load bearing. It should not be removed, unless it is done so to replace it. In that case, temporary support of the rafters should be installed, before removing the knee wall.

Are half walls load bearing?

Signs a wall is not load bearing:



The wall is a half wall. The wall doesn’t have a mechanism to transfer weight to the structure below.

Can I take down a half wall?





Remove the drywall from the framing of the half-wall. Grab the larger pieces and pull them off the wall by hand. Use a pry bar to remove the pieces attached to the framing.

What happens if you knock out a load-bearing wall?

Removing a load bearing wall may create structural problems in a home, including sagging ceilings, unleveled floors, drywall cracks, and sticking doors.

How can you tell if it’s a load-bearing wall?

Generally, when the wall in question runs parallel to the floor joists above, it is not a load-bearing wall. But if the wall runs perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the joists, there is a good chance that it is load-bearing. However, there are cases where a bearing wall is parallel to the joists.

How far can you open a load-bearing wall?

A double 2×10 or 4×10 size of header made of #2 grade of Douglas fir- larch can allow span upto 7 feet far distance for one floor building and upto 5 feet for 2 floor in load bearing exterior windows & door opening or interior wall when building width is no more than 20 feet wide.

Can I remove part of a load-bearing wall?



The short answer is, yes. In most homes, you can remove any portion of a load-bearing wall. However, this depends on what’s inside the wall and how you intend to redistribute the weight. Once you decide to create an opening in a bearing wall, you’ll need to shift the loads above it.

Can I put a doorway in a load-bearing wall?

You can definitely have doors in load bearing walls. You can’t take out a stud that bears the end of the load (like a corner) because you wouldn’t be able to redistribute the weight. It would help to see the wall though. Just make sure you have the right size header set on jack studs to take the weight.

Can you cut an opening in a load-bearing wall?

Steps for Cutting a Pass-Through in a Load-Bearing Wall



Hammer the studs into the temporary wall until they’re snug. Use a drill/driver to secure a brace across the studs. Use a level to draw the outline for the opening. Cut the opening using a reciprocating saw.

Can I cut one stud out of a load-bearing wall?



As pointed out in the comments, you can’t simply cut a load bearing stud without any issues. Some sort of temporary support must be put in place to carry the load before you cut into existing structure and not removed until the new structure is in place.

Do I need a structural engineer to remove a load-bearing wall?

If the wall is not load-bearing, then it shouldn’t be a problem to remove, provided you know what you’re doing and take all the necessary precautions. If, however, the wall is load-bearing, you may need to get help from a structural engineer who can provide you with a structural engineer’s report.