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Interior Design vocabulary · Space Planning

Load-bearing wall

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˌləʊdˈbeərɪŋ wɔːl/nounCore term

In interior design, load-bearing wall means: A wall that supports the weight of the floors or roof above it, so it cannot be removed without adding another structural support such as a beam.

In Turkish: taşıyıcı duvar, yük taşıyan duvar

How it is used

Comes up whenever a client wants to knock through or open up a space. Designers check with a structural engineer and the building authorities before any change. The opposite is a non-load-bearing or partition wall.

Example sentences

  1. We'd love to open up the kitchen, but that's a load-bearing wall, so we'll need a structural engineer.

  2. The survey confirmed that the wall between the two bedrooms isn't load-bearing.

Common collocations

  • remove a load-bearing wall
  • non-load-bearing wall
  • structural engineer's approval
  • partition wallA non-structural internal wall that divides a space into smaller rooms or areas, often made of plasterboard on a metal or timber frame, or of glass.
  • open upTo make a space bigger and more connected, or make it feel that way, for example by removing walls, widening openings or using lighter colours and mirrors.
  • site surveyA visit to a property to measure it accurately and record existing conditions such as walls, windows, ceiling heights, sockets, pipes and damage.
  • renovationWork to repair, update and improve an existing building or room, from new finishes to moving walls, kitchens and bathrooms.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Space Planning

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