Supporting wall or not

[bandejapaisa]

I've got a builder coming in a week to determine if a wall is a supporting wall or not, but just thought I'd ask here first to get some opinion (i'm impatient like that)

The wall is hollow when tapped. In the flat above there is a wall in the same position which appears to be solid when tapped. In the cellar below, there is NOT a wall in the same position.

What do you reckon?

 

[tony1851]

Frankly, not enough information in that - it would just be guesswork.

 

[noseall]

Hollow sounding walls used to be indicative of stud partitioning.

However, since dot and dab has become popular, this is no longer the case.

If the wall does not carry on down to a footing then there is a higher chance that it is not load bearing. However it may be lending mid-span support to some floor beams or joists.

Only a visual inspection will tell.

 

[tony1851]

However it may be lending mid-span support to some floor beams or joists.

Yes, there may be a beam below the wall, within the thickness of the floor.
Be interesting to know if it is a purpose-built block or a conversion.

 

[stuart45]

These sound hollow and might have nothing below, but are load bearing.

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• stuart45
• 24 Feb 2014
• 1

 

[bandejapaisa]

Very interesting. The picture was useful, so was the dot and dab - which I've just read about.

It's an Edwardian house converted into 4 flats.

I'll post my results next week.

Thanks

 

[skhudy]

This is useful http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/load-bearing_walls.htm

"The only way to be absolutely sure whether a wall is load bearing or not is to investigate along its entire length"

I have timber load bearing walls at home, house build in 1920s

 

[bandejapaisa]

Thanks. It was useful.

 

[bandejapaisa]

Ok so here is the wall, with the plasterboard removed.

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• bandejapaisa
• 9 Mar 2014
• 1

Now from the picture it is pretty obvious that the partition was put up at a later date to the original building construction, as you can see where the old coving goes around the room.

My next question is, is it coincidence there is a solid wall above in the same position? Or maybe the brick wall was always there and they just copied the layout for the remove below when the flats were converted.

The house was converted to 4 flats in 1979, which I assume is when the kitchen partition was built. Is there any reason to build the ground floor partition in a wood stud, followed by a brick wall above it in the first floor?

 

[bandejapaisa]

Well, looking right at the top at the ceiling, the vertical parts of the frame are not even touching the horizontal wood attached to the joist....

... so I'm now certain it can't be supporting any weight, otherwise there wouldn't be an air gap!

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• bandejapaisa
• 11 Mar 2014
• 1

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• bandejapaisa
• 11 Mar 2014
• 1

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• bandejapaisa
• 11 Mar 2014
• 1

 

[ree]

What do you mean by: "to build the ground ... brick wall above it"?

Careful measurements should be taken at the floor above to determine with certainty, that no other wall sits above the lower studding or even sits near to it.
Its most unlikely, but check.

Why have you damaged the ceiling plaster and the coving? The studding will come down with a minimum effort.

 

[bandejapaisa]

Typo, i meant to say "Is there any reason to build the ground floor partition in a wood stud, followed by a brick wall above it in the first floor"

That's my point. On my level, ground floor, I have the stud wall. Above it in the first floor, a wall sits above. Below the ground floor in the cellar is empty.

The coving used to go around the room, but when the partition was put in the coving was redirected around the new stud wall - and hence a chunk was cut out of it.

The ceiling plaster came off attached to the coving.

Anyway, no matter as most of the coving around the room has seen better days - so it's all coming down and I'm sound proofing and re-plastering the ceiling.

So anyway,.... to the point. There is a solid wall above that - and it's probably been there for 35 years, and it hasn't managed to compress that 2 mm gap between the pieces of wood.

Thin air doesn't hold up a brick wall.