Removing lintel above wardrobe

[Maver]

Hi,

I'd like to remove the lintel above the wardrobe and install fit in floor to ceiling sliding wardrobe. Can I tell if this lintel structural or not without hiring structural engineer to come have a look and write a £1000 bill for it.
It's a block apartment, concrete ceiling, block internal walls (can provide more information if that will help).

 

[endecotp]

What’s upstairs?

 

[Maver]

What’s upstairs?

It's purpose built block of apartments (mine is at 4th floor) above is same layout so it's a wardrobe space

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's purpose built block of apartments (mine is at 4th floor) above is same layout so it's a wardrobe space

Builders, don't fit lintels for the fun of it, obviously it supports the floor above, so no.

 

[Maver]

Builders, don't fit lintels for the fun of it, obviously it supports the floor above, so no.

It can support a layer of blocks above only.
Same like internal doors, if you have bricks above door.

 

[endecotp]

It's purpose built block of apartments (mine is at 4th floor) above is same layout so it's a wardrobe space

So it’s supporting the concrete floor of that space, right?

 

[Maver]

So it’s supporting the concrete floor of that space, right?

It's either that or it supports the blocks above the opening only.
Should I just treat it as structural wall because of the lintel?
I would think that an alcove for a built in wardrobe wouldn't be a structural wall, but that's just a guess.

 

[endecotp]

It's either that or it supports the blocks above the opening only.

But the concrete floor is resting on those blocks, surely?

 

[Maver]

But the concrete floor is resting on those blocks, surely?

The concrete floor/ceiling is all above, that doesn't mean all walls are supporting the above floor.
This apartment originally had a toilet next to the main bathroom separated by a block wall, and now the wall is not there and rooms are joined in to one. Surely it was not a structural wall supporting floor above.

 

[endecotp]

The concrete floor/ceiling is all above, that doesn't mean all walls are supporting the above floor.

Are you suggesting that there might be a small gap between the blocks and the ceiling, behind the coving?

Or are you just saying that maybe the floor above isn’t relying on this bit of support for its integrity?

If the latter - sorry, I think you’re going to have to get someone to survey it.

 

[Maver]

Are you suggesting that there might be a small gap between the blocks and the ceiling, behind the coving?

Or are you just saying that maybe the floor above isn’t relying on this bit of support for its integrity?

If the latter - sorry, I think you’re going to have to get someone to survey it.

I'm sure there's no gap, but thinking that floor above is not relying on this wall. So seems like it needs to be surveyed.

 

[robinbanks]

It's a block apartment

Hundred percent get someone qualified in. Also need to involve the management co. You may ultimately find it easier to move house!
Can you fit doors sized to the existing opening? What does having doors a foot taller truly give you?

 

[Maver]

Hundred percent get someone qualified in. Also need to involve the management co. You may ultimately find it easier to move house!
Can you fit doors sized to the existing opening? What does having doors a foot taller truly give you?

Management company will 100% say no, their answer to everything is a blanket no.
Having a foot taller door gives just that foot extra access and also looking better for me.
If that's not causing structural damage and is safe to do it then I'll do it if it's a structural support for that part of ceiling then it's obviously a no.

 

[robinbanks]

If it does turn out to be structural, perhaps some rise/fall shelving could make the upper portion as usable as you want (or stepped shelving so you can store seldom used items by sliding/removing others first - more of an operation, but it doesn't matter if use is infrequent), and the doors can fit in front of the lintel, hiding it most of the time?

 

[RrogerD]

Management company will 100% say no, their answer to everything is a blanket no.
Having a foot taller door gives just that foot extra access and also looking better for me.
If that's not causing structural damage and is safe to do it then I'll do it if it's a structural support for that part of ceiling then it's obviously a no.

If you know that the management co. will say no then do not do it.
There's a reason for management companies, they are there to protect the freeholders asset and to protect the other inhabitants of the block.
How would you like it you let someone stay in your house and they started chopping it about?? Or perhaps easier to comprehend, you lent them your car and they decided to cut the dash out, for whatever reason??
Don't do it!