Hi erosen1,

I would think your best bet is to contact a structural engineer or the mfgr. for load information. I don't think anyone here wants to take a 'chance' on giving you bad information, even if they have GOOD intentions. I'm sure there are other variables to consider in the calculation.

For the money it costs to get Professional Advice, it's certainly a LOT cheaper to pay than it is explaining to the Home Owner why the 2nd floor and attic are now on the 1st floor. (Good luck collecting from the Insurance Company.)

My best to ya and hope this helps.

Jay J -Moderator

PS: An Architect may be able to help, or at least point you to an Engineer ...

Jay is absolutely correct. The framing necessary depends entirely upon the size of the house, the materials used to contruct the house and roof (thus the weight of the upstairs) and the strength of the surrounding walls. There is no way to give a reliable answer over the Internet. The answer might be as simple as "you did not need that supporting wall, in the first place" to as complicated as "If you remove this wall even for a minute, the whole house will fall."