The best definition for a load-bearing wall in layman’s terms is a wall that holds your building structure together. The best way to check which walls are free from holding your building structure and a wall that is load-bearing is to go in your basement and look at the direction your 1st sub floor ceiling beams are going. For example, if the beams are facing the front of your house, any wall going in the opposite direction is NOT load-bearing, but any wall going in the same direction IS a load-bearing wall. If you are considering a wall on the second floor of your house, check your attic beams and follow the same principle to determine which walls can be removed.

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