supporting wall identification

[martysmarty]

hi

we are currently looking at taking down a wall on the upstairs landing as it blocks a lot of light and would really open up the area as its very small. i have got to take this all back to the brick anyway so it would make sence to do it now but i cant tell if its a suppporting wall. i dont think it is but could do with some advice.

i have took some pictures and edited them to try and help show what i am talking about.

first picture shows where i want to take the wall down to. i want to make it a half wall, so i would take out the top section.



second picture shows the living room, the wall does not continue down so its suspended on the upstairs flooring



third picture is in the loft. there is two ceiling rafters spanning over the top of it, but theres also two rafters that are not where the loft hatch is. no roof beams/purlins are baring down on it.








the wall is the old style thermal lite bricks, mixed with the old coal ash. the horrible black dusty stuff!!

I hope the pictures help to explain where i am going. obviously the electrics are being moved!

 

[TicTac]

Can't see in the loft properly, but if it's not supported downstairs, then it may not be supporting the joists in the loft; but you might need to sister a couple of joists and add a trimmer for the loft hatch. Obviously, you'll need to put in a banister rail where the wall was.

 

[martysmarty]

Hi tictac. Thanks for the reply.

I will see if i can get a better angle tonight in the loft. Il probably just have to get up there.

Definitly nothing under it down stairs and theres nothing pressing down on it in the loft.

I think i understand what your saying. Put a beam across the two rathers? Help with deflection?. I could do it long enough to sit on a wall either end.

Bannister rail will be fitted. as a rough guide this wall will be 1m-1.2m high.

Just not sure what a trimmer for the loft hatch is?

 

[^woody^]

It's not a supporting wall as there is nothing in the loft to support.

But that's not to say that those two or three ceiling joists are not resting on it and would not move slightly if the wall was removed.

It might be prudent to fix a timber across the top of any joists directy above the wall and the next one either side of those. Something like a floorboard will do, and drill and screw dont nail, two fixings per joist.

The loft hatch frame wont need any work as its not affected.

 

[martysmarty]

Cheers woody.

I was expecting to support the beams as you have stated as i also expected some movment/sag. All that old plaster on the ceiling is coming down. So far every room has been shelled out. Mess aside, it deffo looks nicer in the end rather than patching stuff.

 

[martysmarty]

Also forgot to ask. Do i need to inform building control?

 

[^woody^]

Then you wont need to fix a timber to the joists - they will be exactly the same as all the others across the landing.

And no to building control

 

[martysmarty]

Sounds good to me!