Removing Garage Pillar

[Minime46]

Hi all,

This is my first post

I have a garage ajoining my house, single skin brick with a pillar support on the inside about half way down (on the side which is single skin to the outside).

The pillar is not keyed into the brickwork it is just running next to the wall with mortar... and I really want to remove it so I can create more space. I googled this but could only find another post which basically answered saying if the wall falls down and kills someone they will come after you.

could i put the pillar on the outside and use some large L brackets,,, one on the top attached to a beam and the wall,, and one attached to the floor and wall??

If I remove the pillar is this illigal? or is it just when i want to sell the house I have to rebuild the pillar??

I really hope someone can help me

cheers
Craig

 

[Richard C]

The pier is there to give support to the overall length of the single skin wall (roughly around every 8ft) but it may also be providing support for the roof loading. As you’ve already established, it’s not illegal to remove it unless you subsequently kill someone (or a member of your family) when your garage wall falls down & this could easily happen in the event of adverse weather conditions due to wind or snow loading. The pier should be tied into the wall (by ½ brick) so check again; but even if it isn’t I would strongly advise you not to remove it.

You could build a new brick pier on the outside to compensate but it would require a foundation equally as good as the rest of the wall & be securely tied into the existing wall, not simply stuck on the outside with some L brackets; is 4 ½ inches on the inside really that much of a problem?

 

[Minime46]

thank you Richard,

I use my garage as a gym and I'm realllly needing that out the way as I cant fit a machine in because of it so it really is causing me some problem..

The pillar is 100% not tied into the wall, it looks like it was an after thought.

So if i had an open ended budget and really really wanted the pillar out, is that a safe solution???

even if it means putting some sort of ties to the wall and joists every 400mm along??

 

[Minime46]

also there is a fence next door and another house sheilding from wind.

it is a flat roof garage and the joists are nailed into the wall plate.

just for extra info

 

[Richard C]

The pillar is 100% not tied into the wall, it looks like it was an after thought.

That’s not good but it will still be providing support & it may well have internal steel ties which you can’t see.

So if i had an open ended budget and really really wanted the pillar out, is that a safe solution???

even if it means putting some sort of ties to the wall and joists every 400mm along??

As I said, it’s possible but you must at replace with at least like for like. This may help;
http://learning.covcollege.ac.uk/co...aterials/Sec14-Pillars and Piers/Sec14-M1.pdf
I would strongly advise you get someone in who knows what they are doing, build the outer pier before removing the inner or support the roof with an acrow prop.

also there is a fence next door and another house sheilding from wind.

You cannot use shielding as a factor for removing a brick pier; wind can do strange things & the pier is also supporting the roof load.

 

[Minime46]

thanks Richard,

That really helps. I will speak to a friend of mine who is a builder and see if he will sort it for me.

If not I will just leave it.

Thanks again, great help

Kind Regards
Craig