Load bearing wall removal

These days many homeowners like the look and feel of an open-plan living space in their homes. This has led to a surge in demand for interior wall removals to open-up rooms to make good use of the available space and let more light into the home.

The only problem is that some interior partitions may be load-bearing walls, so it’s not as easy or straightforward to have these removed compared to an interior non-load bearing walls.

When removing a load-bearing wall you need to have it replaced with a steel beam or a frame structure to help support and transfer loads from above onto existing foundations.

Non-load bearing walls, which are also called partition walls, do not help to support loads from the structure above them and are simply used to divide up rooms and spaces within a house.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell by simply looking at a wall whether it is load-bearing or not. This is why it is important to have your renovation plans and interior walls inspected by a qualified and experienced structural engineer to make sure the removal of any walls will not endanger your life and compromise structural integrity of your house.

Adhering to building code requirements

Removal of any load-bearing walls in your home needs to be structurally replaced to bear weight and hold up your house. Even putting in a window into a load-bearing wall needs careful planning and structural intervention into existing building fabric.

You cannot simply cut a hole in a wall to fit the window in as it will compromise the structural integrity of the wall and window frame. This is why you need structural engineer to design adequate support to ensure window frame is not compromised.

This same principle works when you need to remove a weight-bearing wall. Your building contractor will replace the wall with either a beam on padstones or modular lintel to support the weight above. For a significant span of void, a goal-post or box-frame structure may be required.

Using the right supporting materials

While you may think it would be easy to go down to B&Q and get a thick looking post to use as the support beam, you need to have the right sort of supporting beam or frame structure installed to make your wall safe. You will also need to consider how you want your work to be finished.

You may want to have an attractive looking exposed wooden beam finish, which would cost you more money than a steel beam that is meant to be covered over and hidden from view. There is a lot to think about and it is worth consulting with GL Design Services to ensure you make the best decision when it comes to not only the safety of your project but the finished look you want to achieve.

If you are thinking about removing any of your internal walls, do not hesitate to consult with our team of chartered engineers so we can advise you of the best steps to take to achieve your dream home interior plans.

Load bearing wall removal specialist in South London

Improve, don’t move movement booming

The number of inquiries our team at GL Design have received over the past year has increased greatly, especially about homeowners plans for building extensions and internal renovations.

We believe that the increased interest in home renovation projects is because people have been spending a lot more time at home and now realise that their present home layout is no longer working for them.

We have also seen a rise in the number of people looking at converting their home to create a home offices which can mean knocking down internal walls and rearranging their living space.

Specialist load bearing wall removal advice

A lot of current home improvement plans include making homes more comfortable to live in and opening-up the internal space to make it easier for families to socialise. This can mean knocking down walls that divide dining rooms from kitchens or living rooms.

Most of the money that a family would have spent on dining out, holidays and entertainment are now being invested in their home. However, when it comes to knocking down internal walls to make more space, it isn’t as simple as taking a sledgehammer to a wall that is in the way of your plans!

Before any work takes place you need to make sure that the walls you want to remove are not load-bearing walls. Special measures need to be put in place to support the weight that the wall is holding up. Our team at GL Design Services are here to help you with this.

Removing a wall for open-plan living

With people spending more time at home these days and also the rise of flexible working from home jobs, it is no surprise that homeowners want to revamp their houses.

We often work with homeowners that want to knock down walls to create more open-plan living space. However, the process of removing walls that divide up rooms needs meticulous consideration and planning.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if an internal wall is a load-bearing  by simply looking at it. It makes sense to bring in one of our team members from GL Design Services.

We are a team of qualified and experienced structural engineers and will be able to inspect your home and determine if the wall in questions is load-bearing. We will measure and draw up the house plans and provide calculations for the appropriate supporting members.

Do hot hesitate to contact us to discuss your home renovation plans to ensure safety of your building project regarding wall removal is not compromised.