RSJ non-load bearing wall

[SMG31]

Hi,

Very new to this so bear with me!

We wanted a wall knocked down between our kitchen and dining room. After working out it was not a supporting wall we decided to do the work ourselves.
Our builder (working on another part of the house) agreed it was not a supporting wall but told us it would need an RSJ.
After taking another look we are now not sure whether to place an RSJ directly where the wall was knocked out (there are only floorboards above it) or adjacent to this so that it sits underneath a joist.
The size of the space is 7foot and the house was built in the 1920s.

Any advice hugely appreciated! Thank you!

 

[^woody^]

Lol. What kind of a "builder" do you have that states that a wall that's not supporting anything needs an RSJ to support something?

 

[conny]

It's possible that even though it was classed as a 'non-load bearing' wall that it is actually supporting the ends of the floor joists of the floors above.
This may be why your builder suggested it needed an RSJ as opposed to something like a wooden beam or even just putting nothing there and hoping your ceiling stayed up!

If you have exposed the joists, either from downstairs ceiling removal or upstairs floorboard removal, a few photo's may help to answer your question. Several phot's are best. Some from a standing distance to cover the surrounding area and some closer shots to show details.

 

[^woody^]

It's possible that even though it was classed as a 'non-load bearing' wall that it is actually supporting the ends of the floor joists of the floors above

Bearing the load of the floor you mean?

 

[conny]

Bearing the weight of something is also classed as supporting something.

 

[^woody^]

Bearing the weight of something is also classed as supporting something.

Then it's a load bearing wall.

 

[conny]

I agree with your statement, and would personally call it a 'load bearing' wall, however the builder said it wasn't.
We could both be wrong of course and the joist ends may be supported by another means further away from where the lower wall is/was. Alternatively the upper joists may run parallel to the lower wall and just be supported at each end though I have always found upstairs joist run from front to back, not side to side. If this is the case then we need to see a sketch plan of the kitchen/dining room as they may be side to side across the back of the house rather than one in front of the other. Basically we do not have the relevant information to make a call on this. That's why I suggested posting some photo's.

 

[^woody^]

We could both be wrong of course

No. It's either a load bearing wall or its not.

You stated earlier that ..

It's possible that even though it was classed as a 'non-load bearing' wall that it is actually supporting the ends of the floor joists

.. which makes no sense.

If the wall supports something then it's load bearing and needs an alternative means of supporting whatever it was supporting.

If it's not supporting anything then it's not bearing and does not need anything else in it's place if it's removed.

 

[tony1851]

It might be providing lateral stability to the outer wall, even if carrying no vertical load.

 

[^woody^]

It might be providing lateral stability to the outer wall, even if carrying no vertical load.

Not that again.

Not in a house it won't be.

 

[tony1851]

Not that again.

Not in a house it won't be.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.........

 

[^woody^]

Tony wake up, WAKE UP. It's that same dream again isn't it? Stay of the cheese.