Are these load bearing walls or partition?

[bflare]

Hello. I’m wanting to take out 3 walls to make the living room open plan with the kitchen. I’m sure the walls are just partition stud walls as I’ve drilled through them to attach various things. However, I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that stud partition walls can also be load bearing?

The wall ‘A’ I’m wanting to extend the arch and take out the remaining wall indicated by the green line. The red lines on the ceiling represent the beams I’ve located. Wall ‘B’ that runs at 90* to wall ‘A’ appears to be a stud wall around 70mm think the same as wall ‘C’ which I’m also wanting to take out.

Is there any way I can check further?

 

[blup]

Try tapping the walls, you can generally identify plasterboard, use a strong magnet to locate the studs by their steel fixings. That will build up a picture of the structure. Wall C might be an extension of the structural spine wall in the inner room as that is where one end of the red beams sit.

What’s above the wall A at first floor level? Stud walls are not generally structural.

Blup

 

[bflare]

Try tapping the walls, you can generally identify plasterboard, use a strong magnet to locate the studs by their steel fixings. That will build up a picture of the structure. Wall C might be an extension of the structural spine wall in the inner room as that is where one end of the red beams sit.

What’s above the wall A at first floor level? Stud walls are not generally structural.

Blup

Hi there. Wall C is again around 70mm thick and when I tap on it feels hollow. I’ve managed to get my phone camera into one of the down light holes and record a video. The beams run across wall C and it appears to be plasterboard on top of wall C between the beams and the wall if that makes sense

Above wall A is a bedroom and I don’t think this wall is load bearing as it sits parallel between two beams so I can’t see how it could be load bearing.

 

[noseall]

Hi there. Wall C is again around 70mm thick

Partition wall all day.

 

[blup]

The beams run across wall C

and when I tap on it feels hollow.

That suggests it is not structural.

Blup

 

[^woody^]

I’ve read somewhere that stud partition walls can also be load bearing

Not since the 19th century

 

[elite123]

We used one last year on our renovation to transfer weight from purlin down to UB . SE and building control were happy with it

 

[martygturner]

Not since the 19th century

hmmm not really convinced really, Timber framed boxes of the 80's have had issues with stud removal, small 3 bed units having the small kitchen knocked through into the diner - bouncy main bedroom floor. Lounger diner knock through, bathroom above fails, all that unsupported point load.

I have fixed a diner / Kitchen knock through of a stud wall...the joists of beds 1 and 2 rested on the stud, both had free standing wardrobes stuffed to the gills- stud out second for floor sank just over 2 inches....

Trouble is that a lot of stud walls do add rigidity to a structure, especially under a bathroom or under the long span joists....

In the case above the stairs run up to the second floor therefore there is not a cross beam in the last third, that being supported by a single prop by the stairs...if the builder was happy to support using one 4x4 prop do you think he may have used the stud wall to support something else.

So what sits above that wall....

 

[^woody^]

We used one last year on our renovation to transfer weight from purlin down to UB . SE and building control were happy with it

Yes it may be seen as an option in renovation work, but its the least desirable option - mainly for the reason that someone comes along later and sees a stud wall and thinks its not structural so removes it.

Any structural stud wall should (in the sense of good practice not regulations) be constructed to be clearly and indisputably a structural wall - so ply or suchlike sheathing and other factors to make it visibly different to a few 4x2s.

 

[bflare]

hmmm not really convinced really, Timber framed boxes of the 80's have had issues with stud removal, small 3 bed units having the small kitchen knocked through into the diner - bouncy main bedroom floor. Lounger diner knock through, bathroom above fails, all that unsupported point load.

I have fixed a diner / Kitchen knock through of a stud wall...the joists of beds 1 and 2 rested on the stud, both had free standing wardrobes stuffed to the gills- stud out second for floor sank just over 2 inches....

Trouble is that a lot of stud walls do add rigidity to a structure, especially under a bathroom or under the long span joists....

In the case above the stairs run up to the second floor therefore there is not a cross beam in the last third, that being supported by a single prop by the stairs...if the builder was happy to support using one 4x4 prop do you think he may have used the stud wall to support something else.

So what sits above that wall....

I have attached a typical layout of the house. As you can see it is two stories with the main bedroom to the left overhanging as can be seen on the front view pic. Within the layout, you will see that the left drawing shows the original layout of the living room & kitchen. At some point wall 'A' was blocked up where it originally entered into the kitchen. I believe this was done to improve the layout of the kitchen. However, doing this has blocked out the natural light path from the kitchen window into the room hence me wanting to now take walls. I have also indicated the 'A' & 'B' out & make the room open plan. The kitchen units I was planning on moving to the cupboard space once wall 'C' was removed. I have also indicated the approx location of the prop & joists. As you can see wall 'A' runs parallel between two joists hence I am sure this isn't a load-bearing partition. The walls that I am not too sure about are 'B' & 'C'. But as I said in my previous comments they feel like partitions walls but I am not sure if they are adding to the structure of the house.

 

[martygturner]

Looks pretty good , B cannot be supporting much. But I would remove the greenery from the gutter...

 

[bflare]

Looks pretty good , B cannot be supporting much. But I would remove the greenery from the gutter...

Yes, I inherited the greenery

Would you say on the basis of what I have shown I would be okay with removing the walls shown below hatched?

 

[martygturner]

I would but then its not my house...just cut out a bit of plaster board and see what's resting on it before you take it down, I would strip off above the arch and check that nothing is resting on the that wall, until you expose it you won't know if the joists are tied together by a series of noggins...I doubt they are but as we cannot see it...

 

[bflare]

I would but then its not my house...just cut out a bit of plaster board and see what's resting on it before you take it down, I would strip off above the arch and check that nothing is resting on the that wall, until you expose it you won't know if the joists are tied together by a series of noggins...I doubt they are but as we cannot see it...

I cut into wall ‘C’ last night right at the top and the partition walls are not the stud type as first thought. They are made from strawboard and I can’t as of yet see any frame.

 

[martygturner]

Those just look like insulated panels, you can see the void above, I doubt you will find a stud partition, those are formed off site as panels and put in. time for brave man like noises...if it was me I would rent a few acrow props and a scaffold plank to run down the length of that wall... to be sure.