Planning a Remodel? Understand Home Layout

Planning a home remodel or addition? Even if you plan to hire out all the building work, you should familiarize yourself with the importance of layouts in your plan. In construction, “layout” means the exact location of every element of the structure – from large to small. One small miscalculation in creating a layout plan can have a ripple effect that moves throughout the entire project.

Spending the time to understand load-bearing walls and layout will save you money during your remodel. Follow our guide to get prepared now.

1. The number one answer is strength! Good support alignment is a key point of a proper layout. If each load-bearing wall or structure is spaced correctly and lined up properly, the load will be uniformly distributed from one end of the building to the other.
2. Alignment is the second benefit. A properly spaced layout also creates reliable “channels” to allow plumbing, electrical wires, or other mechanicals behind the wall. This not only makes it easy for electricians and plumbers to do their work, but it also means less time spent figuring out problem areas because a strange twist or turn exists.
3. Lastly, save money and time on materials. A layout that uses spacing corresponding to your building materials (such as plywood and drywall) makes it easy to install them without having to cut them down to a unique size. This cuts down on labor costs and reduces chances for mistakes as well as wasted time and materials.

In construction, a “load” is calculated from the anticipated force on a structure. This load will include the weight of materials (sometimes called “dead loads” or “gravity loads”), the force of elements (such as wind and rain) that can bear down in many directions (sometimes called “lateral loads” or “wind loads”), and the weight of the people and objects inside a structure (sometimes called “live loads”). While building codes can vary on the rules around loads in construction, there are many important considerations when it comes to load-bearing parts of a structure.

For example, an interior load-bearing wall is one that supports everything that is above it, rather than a wall that simply divides the space. The load is distributed throughout the structure by load-bearing walls and beams. Just where those walls and beams need to be installed depends on the amount of load they need to support, among other considerations.

The reason why we don’t need every inch of a floor supported from below is that the load is distributed across a space, or span, by a system of supports. A span (the horizontal space between two supports) is generally designed based on what load is above and what evenly-spaced support is needed below to bear it. Designing a good layout that does not compromise existing load-bearing walls or beams is key for stability.

Use these tips to see if a wall or structure is load-bearing in a home.

1. Is it an interior or exterior wall? Almost all exterior walls are load-bearing.
2. How thick is the wall? If a wall is especially thick (more than six inches), it could be load-bearing.
3. What direction are the ceiling joists pointed? In the attic, if the ceiling joists are running perpendicular to a wall, the wall is bearing their load. If they run parallel, that wall may not (but still could be) load-bearing. In this latter case, look for any place where parallel joists are joined to a wall by other means. That attachment would make that wall load-bearing.
4. Use a stud finder. If you can’t get to the attic, use a stud finder to mark several joists in the ceiling on different parts of a room to determine which direction they run.
5. Where is it located? Walls or supports that are in the center of a structure are more likely to be load-bearing and tend to carry much of the roof’s weight.
6. Look at the roof bracing. In the attic, you might find “purlin bracing” which supports the roof from the frame to a wall below. This would make the wall it’s attached to a load-bearing wall.
7. Is the wall made of masonry? True masonry walls can be good load-bearing walls, and most exterior masonry walls are. Inside, you sometimes find masonry-like walls but they are actually made of materials too weak to be load-bearing, such as veneer or manufactured stone.
8. Check the basement or crawlspace. You should be able to see if a basement wall or beam/column sits directly below the wall you are determining above. That alignment is a good clue that the wall is load-bearing because it’s helping to distribute the load from top to bottom in the building.

Sheets of plywood and drywall are ideally laid out as “on center” which means they are spaced evenly so that your common sizes of sheet goods fit without needing trimming. Most plywood and drywall materials for construction come in eight-foot lengths. Some materials even have layout marked on them to make it even easier to install them.

Common "on center" layouts include:

• 16-inches On Center = 6 even spaces per 8 feet
• 24-inches On Center = 4 even spaces per 8 feet
• 19.2-inches On Center = 5 even spaces per 8 feet

Common construction tape measures also have these dimensions marked on them, making them one of your most important tools for layout. For example, look at the 19.2 mark on your tape measure, and you’ll likely find a diamond there.

Note: Always consult a structural engineer or contractor and have all your building inspections done to ensure your project is stable and correct.

Even if you just need to know what your builder is talking about, understanding loads and layout are important concepts for any building project. When you’re ready to get started on your project, the experts at McCoy’s are ready to help you find the right materials and we can even deliver a whole deck, shed, or whatever-you're-doing package to your door.