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I have a 2 story house. The wall in question is in the middle of the basement. There is an old field stone wall that runs parallel to the ceiling joist (3x8). Directly above the stone is a flat board (7 1/2x2) followed by the joist, then floorboard. The second floor wall is directly above the basement joist. The 1st floor wall is offset 4" and not directly above the beam. Attic is a crawl space with no walls.

My pictures won't upload. My question is can I knock the stone wall out? If it is load bearing, how can I support it while I remove the wall since it runs parallel? I will try to get photos uploaded

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  • Pics will help. I don’t understand “The second floor wall is directly above the basement joists.”
    – Lee Sam
    Jan 6, 2020 at 0:01

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Unless you are happy betting your house (which you will be) the correct answer is to pay a local licensed professional engineer to inspect and be sure. The cost is a small fraction of "Whoops, I broke my house because some folks on the internet said..."

They can also tell you what needs to be done if it is load-bearing and you still want to remove it. You may or may not find that affordable.

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  • Is that an answer or a comment?
    – Lee Sam
    Jan 6, 2020 at 2:15
  • I started it as a comment, but it is in fact the answer to "is my basement wall load bearing?" that you can rely on, so I did not put it as a comment after all
    – Ecnerwal
    Jan 6, 2020 at 2:16
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    Some of us design structural walls, beams, footings all day long and feel comfortable giving an answer once all the relevant information is known. Likewise, some feel comfortable giving electrical or plumbing advice. So, as you put it, “ask a professional” is not “the only answer you can rely on”. Just as “ask an electrician” is not the only answer for electrical questions...which can have just as devastating effect if done wrong as a structural failure.
    – Lee Sam
    Jan 6, 2020 at 2:31
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    @LeeSam -- load-bearing walls are a particular pain in the arse to identify in situ (i.e. without house plans)
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Jan 6, 2020 at 2:54
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    @ThreePhaseEel Yes, load bearing walls are difficult to fully understand, just as I’m sure existing wiring in walls is just as difficult to fully understand. But for those who know what to look for (or ask the OP for clarification) in the wiring system, certain things can be determined with relative assurance. Likewise for the structural, plumbing, etc. systems without telling every OP to “go ask a professional”. Those that don’t understand electrical systems, like me, may not rely on any SE advise and ultimately contact a licensed electrician anyway, based on the confidence of the answer.
    – Lee Sam
    Jan 6, 2020 at 3:23

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