Is this a load bearing wall?

[Last Triumph]

I want to knock through from the kitchen into the dining room (like everyone else) but I'm not sure if the wall is load bearing or not.

I've taken thee pics which might help.

Some background....

House is two storey.
Built 1990
All walls are dot n' dab board over breeze block

The reason I'm not sure is because of some conflicting evidence - there is no real load above it other than a stud wall, the length of joist span is only 2 feet longer than the lounge span which is unsupported, yet it is made from breeze block where the other major downstairs wall is hollow stud....?

This is the wall from the dining room side

And from the kitchen side

I removed some of the plaster board to see what was behind

This wall DOES NOT support the stair case, the adjacent one between the lounge and dining room does, as shown here by the ingress of the top of the stairs into the adjacent kitchen wall

The beams run side to side from the kitchen to the dining room, prependicular to the wall, however, they run length ways along the lounge for what it's worth?

Above the wall I want to remove is the hollow stud wall betwen a bedroom and the bath room

However, this is offset by about 12" and not directly above the kitchen wall I want to remove.

If I go into the loft, there is nothing above the bathroom/bedroom wall at all.

So..... the roof or it's beams doesn't go anywhere near the bedroom/bathroom wall which, is not only hollow, empty and light weight, but also offset 12" from the kitchen/dining room wall.

The span of the beams from the kitchen and dining room is approx 16 feet. The span of the same sized (unsupported) beeams accross the lounge is 14 feet - almost the same.

Yet, it's made from breeze block?

So builders, is it a load bearing wall given that nothing structural is above it and the beams spans are alsmost the same between the lounge and dining room?

Oh, I've just done the entire bathroom in travertine tiles and THEY MUST NOT CRACK.....

What do people think?

 

[masona]

I So builders, is it a load bearing wall given that nothing structural is above it and the beams spans are alsmost the same between the lounge and dining room?

The clue will be upstairs, have a look under the floorboards and see if any joists is resting on the wall etc.

 

[Last Triumph]

I So builders, is it a load bearing wall given that nothing structural is above it and the beams spans are alsmost the same between the lounge and dining room?

The clue will be upstairs, have a look under the floorboards and see if any joists is resting on the wall etc.

Surely if the beams run accross the top of it they will be resting on it by default?

But does that mean it is load bearing?

I'm just confused by the fact that there is no real load above it (offset stud wall, no roof tie-in) yet it is made from breeze block.

Difficult to view from above as it is covered in travertine floor tiles in one room and a hard wood floor in the other....

 

[masona]

Is it possible to lift the carpet up?

 

[Last Triumph]

Is it possible to lift the carpet up?

Not trying to sound defeatist or negative, but the floor under the carpet is weetabix, sorry, chip board and not floor boards, so will involve getting the hole saw out....

I'm 99% certain that the joists rest on the wall, but like I say, does this guarantee that it is load bearing?

 

[noseall]

Is it possible to lift the carpet up?

[/color]difficult to view from above due to tiles and hardwood etc......

 

[Last Triumph]

Is it possible to lift the carpet up?

[/color]difficult to view from above due to tiles and hardwood etc......

I'll remove some plaster board at the top of the wall and see if I can see if the beams are resting on the wall.

 

[Last Triumph]

No time like the present....

So, are they 'resting' or being 'supported' ?

 

[mikric]

Is that a joist doubled up or two singles overlapped over the wall from different directions ?

 

[Last Triumph]

Is that a joist doubled up or two singles overlapped over the wall from different directions ?

Good point - I can only see one of them any distance with a torch through the hole and it finnishes about 18" away!

Guess that answers that one then, thanks.

How do I work out what sized beam I need to order please?

 

[mikric]

Do you intend to remove the whole wall ? If so you will need a structural engineer to do some calcs for you to size the beam, and advice on padstone requirements etc .

 

[Last Triumph]

Yes, the full wall to create a kitchen diner type of thing....

 

[Shytalkz]

203x102UB23 tops. What's the span of the opening and the span of the joists either side of the wall?

 

[mikric]

203x102UB23 tops. What's the span of the opening and the span of the joists either side of the wall?

Dont forget to let him have your paypal details Shy

 

[Last Triumph]

The wall is 9' 10" wide + the ends that need to be burried on to the pad stones.

The joists over the kitchen and dining room are both approx 8' long and over lap above the wall it would seem.