Wall not load bearing because it is single skin brick?

[perky416]

Hi Guys,

Recently had the RICS building survey results back from the house I am purchasing, there were a few worrying findings which include a partition wall being knocked trough to make a lounge/diner with no building regulations.

The wall that separates the front and rear bedrooms is directly above where the wall that was knocked through would have been. I have asked the surveyor if this would have been a load bearing wall and the response I received was:

"we confirm that this wall is traditionally constructed on single skin brickwork, and is therefore assumed to be non-load bearing".

Does this sound right to you guys? It wasn't load bearing because it was single skin? What about the wall above, wouldn't the knocked through wall have originally been supporting that wall?

Many Thanks
Lee

 

[stuart45]

I'm a bricklayer, not a building surveyor, but I know for sure that single skin(4 inch) walls can be load bearing.

 

[^woody^]

therefore assumed to be non-load bearing".

LOL

They can't do a survey and then assume anything. They should have looked at it.

Single skin walls are commonly load-bearing. If this is a traditional semi for instance, the wall on the ground floor between the front and rear lounges will support the wall above between the bedrooms, which in turn supports the ceiling joists in the loft. Floor joists may or may not bear onto the wall too.

You need to get them to alter their assumptions to actual facts regardless. That is what you've paid for

 

[^woody^]

Also, having no building regs is often just an admin thing. If the work has been done properly - ie adequately supported if need by a suitable beam, then that's all that really matters.

Your surveyor should be able to comment on the age of the work and if there are signs of any distress.

 

[Mottie]

...Single skin walls are commonly load-bearing. If this is a traditional semi for instance, the wall on the ground floor between the front and rear lounges will support the wall above between the bedrooms, which in turn supports the ceiling joists in the loft. Floor joists may or may not bear onto the wall too.

That’s exactly how my last house and current house were done, only in my last house a previous builder/tenant used two woodworm-ridden 6X2’s but my current one is an RSJ. I had the current one done about 15 years ago but didn’t bother with building regs.

 

[Keithmac]

Our mid terrace house had the kitchen to lounge wall knocked out to enlarge the kitchen (used to be L shaped living room now straight).

That has had an RSJ fitted as you can see the boxing in on the kitchen ceiling.

Would say a brick wall above would need more than just floor joists to hold it up?.

 

[John D v2.0]

We have a couple of 2 inch thick load bearing walls, holding the roof up from the ground floor level, anything can hold a load even a stud wall.

 

[Blagard]

Its a long time since I bought a house, so just wondering if that is the report commissioned by a mortgage lender. If so it may be worthless to the OP. The law on such surveys was that as there is no contract between surveyor and buyer it cannot be relied upon if wrong. No idea it that is the case now.

 

[cjard]

The last house I lived in had had a similar operation carried out by an absolute muppet. A single skin wall had been removed to enlarge the kitchen

Upstairs the hallway floor is obviously twisted, the back bedroom door had to be shaved into a parallelogram and the bathroom door has a gap that ran from nothing to an inch top and bottom

"Can't be load bearing because its single skin" - ho ho ho, I had no idea that surveying could be carried out by someone who merely needs to parrot from a list of facts!

 

[Notch7]

we confirm that this wall is traditionally constructed on single skin brickwork, and is therefore assumed to be non-load bearing

It certainly could be load bearing, single skin load bearing walls are pretty common

The wall that separates the front and rear bedrooms is directly above where the wall that was knocked through would have been

Well something should be holding up the bedroom dividing wall! Internal walls often support joists as well

The wall could be sitting on a steel beam in the ceiling void, or doubled / tripled joists. So although there is no wall below, all could still be done correctly. You would need to access the void from either below or above. If the house is empty, probably taking up a floor board would allow you to see.