Removing a brick pantry/larder from 50's purpose built flat.

jonnie123 · 28 Aug 2010

Hi all,

I have just purchased my first property and need some help with a brick pantry in the corner of the kitchen that seriously limits the scope for a new kitchen.

I understand the floors between the flats are concrete so it is likely that the walls of the pantry (about 60-70cm square) will not be load bearing? If I can get this confirmed it it just a case of removing it brick by brick from the top?

Thanks,

Jonathan

stuart45 · 28 Aug 2010

It's highly unlikely that a small pantry will be be a load bearing wall for a concrete floor in a purpose built block of flats.

jonnie123 · 28 Aug 2010

Thanks Stuart,

I'll certainly check though. I just thought there might be a chance it is load bearing especially if there is an identical layout above.

stuart45 · 28 Aug 2010

Concrete floors are re-inforced and span across to the bearing walls. The partition walls are built later and are not load bearing. One of the advantages of a concrete floor is that alterations are easier than with a timber floor where many of the walls are load bearing.
Even a wall above it does not mean that it's load bearing.

Static · 31 Aug 2010

stuart45 said:
Concrete floors are re-inforced and span across to the bearing walls. The partition walls are built later and are not load bearing. One of the advantages of a concrete floor is that alterations are easier than with a timber floor where many of the walls are load bearing.
Even a wall above it does not mean that it's load bearing.

Unless they are beam and block concrete floors or widespan hollowcore floors or the clay pot type concrete floors that span onto load bearing masonry..
Only way to know for sure is either get the original drawings or so some destructive investigation..

jonnie123 · 31 Aug 2010

Static said:
stuart45 said:

Concrete floors are re-inforced and span across to the bearing walls. The partition walls are built later and are not load bearing. One of the advantages of a concrete floor is that alterations are easier than with a timber floor where many of the walls are load bearing.
Even a wall above it does not mean that it's load bearing.

Click to expand...

Unless they are beam and block concrete floors or widespan hollowcore floors or the clay pot type concrete floors that span onto load bearing masonry..
Only way to know for sure is either get the original drawings or so some destructive investigation..

Can you say if any of these are more likely in a 50's build?

stuart45 · 31 Aug 2010

Can you see the concrete floor from the outside?

jonnie123 · 31 Aug 2010

stuart45 said:
Can you see the concrete floor from the outside?

No, just brickwork Stuart.

stuart45 · 31 Aug 2010

If you want to be certain, take some plaster away and expose the top of the wall. If the wall was built later it will probably have a mortar joint at the top where it was pinned to the ceiling and be non load bearing.

Static · 1 Sep 2010

stuart45 said:
If you want to be certain, take some plaster away and expose the top of the wall. If the wall was built later it will probably have a mortar joint at the top where it was pinned to the ceiling and be non load bearing.

Agreed..
And 50s houses were built from all kinds of construction.. was post war building boom..

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Removing a brick pantry/larder from 50's purpose built flat.

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