Definition : Loadbearing wall

Wall that supports its own load as well as vertical and seismic loads such as the floors of the building, the wall of the upper floors and the roof.  It can be made of different materials: brick, stone, solid stock, plaster (with a wooden frame). Its purpose is to guarantee the stability of the overall structure of a construction and is considered to be part of the structural work.  A loadbearing wall can be a façade wall or be located inside a building. In the latter case, it is named slit wall. The Civil Code of Quebec creates a presumption to the effect that a structural work constitutes a common portion of the immovable. This is generally the case in vertical co-ownerships. The situation is different in horizontal co-ownerships were the foundations and main walls are generally situated in private portions.