Hi everyone,
I've read all the posts in this forum and others regarding supporting walls / acros / strongboys / padstones as I want to undertake the removal of a wall in my bungalow.
I think it is a straightforward job but I would like to double check some things and would really appreciate any advice anyone can give me.
The job is to remove a wall between my kitchen and dining room to create an opening roughly 3 meters wide. This would leave approx 0.75 metre either side of the wall remaining and roughly 0.5 metre above the opening (which I guess will be the Lintel and a few bits of brick above that).
The wall is supporting in that the joists above run adjacent to the wall, so the wall is propping up those joists.
I think I ought to use an RSJ as this would ensure that the loft space is still ok for conversion at a later date (if I ever have that sort of money!)
The wall is single brick thickness.
The floor below is timber.
I'm just a normal 'doesn't have a clue really' home DIYer and I will be tackling this job with a couple of mates, one of whom is experienced in building and has done lintelling on windows, but hasn't done an RSJ wall knock through before.
The way I see it things should go something like this:
1. Knock a hole at either end and in the middle of the space for the lintel and support with an Acro either side about 0.5 metre apart (through the wall) sitting on some scaffolding planks and with some sort of wood going through the hole. (What kind of wood?) or I could use 3 acros with a strong boy on each.
2. Jack up the acros so they take the weight of the few bricks above and the joists (How tight?)
3. Knock out the remaining space to create a hole which will take the lintel (what size of RSJ?)
4. Knock out the rest of the opening.
5. Now get the RSJ with at least a 150mm space either side of supporting wall and put this into the hole using 2 more acros at each end.
6. Slop some muck / gobbo / compo on the top of the RSJ and raise into position against the top brickwork raising from the ends not the middle.
7. Place a padstone at each end underneath the RSJ and get it tight below the RSJ (How?)
8. Leave to set / go off (how long?)
9. Finish up with plasterboard etc
10. Job's done?
Is that right?
I'm also unsure about the padstone. If I'm placing the lintel on what's left of the wall do I need a padstone because the weight can't really get distributed any more than it already is? How do I prevent the bricks from crushing below other than rebuilding each side which engineering brick?
I know I will need to get the Local Authority Building inspector in to check it out - will he come out before the job is started to tell us what we need to do? (Tea / Biccies / Girlfriend in low cut top!)
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance,
Dave
I've read all the posts in this forum and others regarding supporting walls / acros / strongboys / padstones as I want to undertake the removal of a wall in my bungalow.
I think it is a straightforward job but I would like to double check some things and would really appreciate any advice anyone can give me.
The job is to remove a wall between my kitchen and dining room to create an opening roughly 3 meters wide. This would leave approx 0.75 metre either side of the wall remaining and roughly 0.5 metre above the opening (which I guess will be the Lintel and a few bits of brick above that).
The wall is supporting in that the joists above run adjacent to the wall, so the wall is propping up those joists.
I think I ought to use an RSJ as this would ensure that the loft space is still ok for conversion at a later date (if I ever have that sort of money!)
The wall is single brick thickness.
The floor below is timber.
I'm just a normal 'doesn't have a clue really' home DIYer and I will be tackling this job with a couple of mates, one of whom is experienced in building and has done lintelling on windows, but hasn't done an RSJ wall knock through before.
The way I see it things should go something like this:
1. Knock a hole at either end and in the middle of the space for the lintel and support with an Acro either side about 0.5 metre apart (through the wall) sitting on some scaffolding planks and with some sort of wood going through the hole. (What kind of wood?) or I could use 3 acros with a strong boy on each.
2. Jack up the acros so they take the weight of the few bricks above and the joists (How tight?)
3. Knock out the remaining space to create a hole which will take the lintel (what size of RSJ?)
4. Knock out the rest of the opening.
5. Now get the RSJ with at least a 150mm space either side of supporting wall and put this into the hole using 2 more acros at each end.
6. Slop some muck / gobbo / compo on the top of the RSJ and raise into position against the top brickwork raising from the ends not the middle.
7. Place a padstone at each end underneath the RSJ and get it tight below the RSJ (How?)
8. Leave to set / go off (how long?)
9. Finish up with plasterboard etc
10. Job's done?
Is that right?
I'm also unsure about the padstone. If I'm placing the lintel on what's left of the wall do I need a padstone because the weight can't really get distributed any more than it already is? How do I prevent the bricks from crushing below other than rebuilding each side which engineering brick?
I know I will need to get the Local Authority Building inspector in to check it out - will he come out before the job is started to tell us what we need to do? (Tea / Biccies / Girlfriend in low cut top!)
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance,
Dave
