One of these must be load bearing, but which one?

[NotAPangolin]

Hi all,

Wondering if someone can help clear up a bit of confusion. We're considering buying this 1960s bungalow, but it's got a strange quirk going on with internal windows caused by a corridor running along the back of the house (see diagram).

I'm trying to work out whether the red or yellow highlighted wall is holding the roof up (or a combination of both?). Our initial intention was to take down the internal wall/windows and extend the walls on either side to meet the outer (red highlighted) wall. That would make a little more bedroom space and lose the strange corridor feature.

However, we've got the title plan, and it's got a dotted line where the red highlighted wall on the diagram is now, indicating that this might have only been an overhang/lean-to structure, which calls into question its strength to support the roof - I think? But, I see there's a large wooden fascia above the windows on the rear wall, so could that be covering an RSJ that's providing enough support to hold the roof up without the internal wall doing anything?

I think it's worth noting that without the rear corridor, the roof would either end strangely high or be pitched irregularly and very steep at the rear of the house, so surely the outer wall is taking the weight?

Can anyone advise based on what I've provided whether or not the outer or internal wall is likely to be load bearing?

Grateful for any advice!!! You might be able to tell that I know very little! Thanks in advance!

 

[Notch7]

Hi all,

Wondering if someone can help clear up a bit of confusion. We're considering buying this 1960s bungalow, but it's got a strange quirk going on with internal windows caused by a corridor running along the back of the house (see diagram).

I'm trying to work out whether the red or yellow highlighted wall is holding the roof up (or a combination of both?). Our initial intention was to take down the internal wall/windows and extend the walls on either side to meet the outer (red highlighted) wall. That would make a little more bedroom space and lose the strange corridor feature.

However, we've got the title plan, and it's got a dotted line where the red highlighted wall on the diagram is now, indicating that this might have only been an overhang/lean-to structure, which calls into question its strength to support the roof - I think? But, I see there's a large wooden fascia above the windows on the rear wall, so could that be covering an RSJ that's providing enough support to hold the roof up without the internal wall doing anything?

I think it's worth noting that without the rear corridor, the roof would either end strangely high or be pitched irregularly and very steep at the rear of the house, so surely the outer wall is taking the weight?

Can anyone advise based on what I've provided whether or not the outer or internal wall is likely to be load bearing?

Grateful for any advice!!! You might be able to tell that I know very little! Thanks in advance!

most of a roof load is taken by joist ends resting on a wall plate

in the bungalow in question that is the outer wall -which I assume is just back from the fascia -the fascia is usually attached to the ends of the joists

bear in mind that roof joists rest on a wall plate which is placed on the inner skin of a cavity wall -so I would say you would find a lintel at that position. Above the long window there might just be a long timber


bear in mind that internal walls also take roof load -so you would need to check where the purlins land


Even if you find the wall you want to take out is load bearing, It looks to me like a structural engineer could design a solution -sure it might cost a few £ks but if you like the house its not much in the context of the house price

Personally I think it is a property with potential

 

[NotAPangolin]

most of a roof load is taken by joist ends resting on a wall plate

in the bungalow in question that is the outer wall -which I assume is just back from the fascia -the fascia is usually attached to the ends of the joists

bear in mind that roof joists rest on a wall plate which is placed on the inner skin of a cavity wall -so I would say you would find a lintel at that position. Above the long window there might just be a long timber


bear in mind that internal walls also take roof load -so you would need to check where the purlins land


Even if you find the wall you want to take out is load bearing, It looks to me like a structural engineer could design a solution -sure it might cost a few £ks but if you like the house its not much in the context of the house price

Personally I think it is a property with potential

Thanks so much for your response, Notch7.

So just so I've understood correctly, you think it's most likely the outer wall supporting the weight of the roof, with a joist resting on a lintel on the inner skin of the cavity wall, which is probably obscured behind the fascia and a long timber?

But I should also make sure that any purlins aren't supported by an internal wall we may wish to move. If they are, we'd have to get an engineer to work out a way for us to do so.

I'm not sure if/when I'd get an opportunity to look in the loft space. But I've read purlins should be supported at least every 1.2m, does that sound right? The roof space is about 7.5m long, so I guess there'd be at least 6 purlin supports in the loft space, but they'd be leaning on the joist, right? And that spans the whole depth of the house and I would expect it lies on the central (uncoloured) wall, and probably not my yellow highlighted one?

Does that logic sound right to you or am I missing something fundamental?