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Restoration & Refurbishment

Interior walls and layout change in upstairs

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.31 PM

I live in a Victorian terraced and am hoping to change the layout upstairs (and add a new bathroom). To do this the interior walls upstairs would need to be knocked down and rebuilt in a slightly different layout. The walls in question are all stud. Is there a way of finding out which of these are load bearing? I have built stud walls in the past so am fairly comfortable rebuilding them. Are there any regulations for this kind of work? I’m working to a budget so would like to try and do as much of the job myself but am happy to get professional help if it needs to be signed off.

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4 Answers

M.L Salisbury

No reviews yet

Islington, London
There are videos on you tube with advice on how to identify load bearing studs. Eg Often you can work it out by looking at them in relation to joists above, do the joists run perpendicular to the wall ie is it likely the joists are supported by the stud, if they run in line..there’s an answer. If the property is listed you would need to reinstate as is..using lathe and plaster. Even if it’s not listed gypsum does not move or cope with moisture like lime plaster and lathes so this can cause issues going forward with damo transfer and cracking
Answered13 August 2020
2

mcfarlane joiners and builders

Rating: 5 out of 5
Kirkcaldy
Typically upstairs load bearing partitions are to take the roof weights. If you have access to the loft you can if there are any roofing members directly in contact with the head of the partition. In a victorian style house this will ussually be in the form of a ceiling tie. If any roofing members are in contact this would mean it is a load bearing partition. You can also check to see if there is a ground floor partition directly below. This often indicates that the loads are being transfered directly down to the foundation of the house. I would always reccomend consulting a structural engineer prior to the removal of any walls. The removal of a loadbearing wall without the proper structural support will comprimise the structure of the house.
Answered13 August 2020
1

Marta Construction Limited

Rating: 5 out of 5
Glastonbury
the simple answer is, in the first instance you should assume all walls are load bearing (even stud work) if you can get into theft space above the wall you should be able to see the top plate of the stud work and can work out from that whether it is supporting any thing. it would be worth getting a local experienced builder or structural engineer to have a look. if it is structural you will need Building reg approval Hope that helps Regards
Answered13 August 2020
0

Dmp building solutions

Rating: 5 out of 5
Hexham
Very unlikely that a "studwall" is load bearing. In Victoria property the load bearing is relevant to ground floor, to hold the 1st floor joists, typically the 4 walls are the load bearing, there are also some obvious differences between Victorian periods. If you have a loft hatch pop your head up and you can assess where the weight is distributed. But like I say most of the weight is on the 1st floor joists
Answered30 August 2020
0