Removing main back wall of house....

[Normanton44]

Hello all, I'm currently renovating a house, I'm an electrician by trade so am learning bits and pieces as I go along so you'll have to bear with me. So the main back wall of my house is an 18" stone wall which holds up a double extension and also backs onto a single extension. I plan on knocking this wall down to make the kitchen bigger (single downstairs extension used to be a bathroom which I'm not moving upstairs). I won't be doing this myself as its way out of my league, but was just curious as to how it's done. Obviously with knocking an internal wall down you can acro either side of the load bearing wall and it's pretty straight forward. Knocking down the main back wall I'm assuming is a little more complex. The guys doing it said something about making 3/4 small holes all the way through, push 'needles' through and acro either side. Now I'm assuming these 'needles' are 50mm or more steel rods....? Anyway just wanted to get a second/third opinion on it. Thanks in advance, Lee

 

[tony1851]

With a wall that thick, you are better using the traditional acrows and needles, rather than rely on strongboys.

The needles were traditionally something like 4" x 4" timbers, or alternatively short lengths of rsj offcuts would suffice. Masonry is not usually as predictable as brickwork, so don't skimp on the number of supports.

If the wall has a rubble core, your main problem will be keeping clear of any loose stuff that falls out.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

Knock holes through the wall above the single story extension. use your eyes right through the wall and rest their ends on wooden /brick packing onto a scaffolding board on roof and bedroom floor.
Go down stairs and use acroyds and a scaffold plank and carpets against ceilings and floors. If floors are dodgy, take acroyds down to earth level with some spreaders.
If the ceiling joists run into the wall on both sides then you can just support the ceilings as the wall will be supported on the joist ends. watch out for loose rubble falling down from loose infill.
Frank