Hello everyone,
I see a lot of expertise in this forum and I’m taking the chance to ask a question, even though I haven’t built myself but rather bought a house, and I hope you won’t be too harsh on me for this 🙂
Situation: We purchased a 25-year-old detached house (solid brick). We are currently carrying out extensive renovations and modernization (partly as DIY). In a rather naive move, we removed a wall recess in a load-bearing brick wall (exterior wall, 36cm brick, 40cm with plaster) on the first of two upper floors without initially considering the consequences, which are now slowly becoming clear to us.
About the recess itself: 13cm deep (11cm of brick), 90cm wide, 33cm high. It is located in the corner of the room and starts about 50cm away from the nearest adjacent load-bearing wall. Almost in the middle of the wall at a room height of around 2.5m (8 feet).
I know a structural engineer will definitely give me the answer, but if I can save the 500€ fee, I’d like to do so. Or if someone here is certain that it’s not okay (or uncertain), I can have it filled in again right away. What do you think: acceptable, better to fill with concrete right away, or an individual decision for a structural engineer?
Thanks for your assessment.
I see a lot of expertise in this forum and I’m taking the chance to ask a question, even though I haven’t built myself but rather bought a house, and I hope you won’t be too harsh on me for this 🙂
Situation: We purchased a 25-year-old detached house (solid brick). We are currently carrying out extensive renovations and modernization (partly as DIY). In a rather naive move, we removed a wall recess in a load-bearing brick wall (exterior wall, 36cm brick, 40cm with plaster) on the first of two upper floors without initially considering the consequences, which are now slowly becoming clear to us.
About the recess itself: 13cm deep (11cm of brick), 90cm wide, 33cm high. It is located in the corner of the room and starts about 50cm away from the nearest adjacent load-bearing wall. Almost in the middle of the wall at a room height of around 2.5m (8 feet).
I know a structural engineer will definitely give me the answer, but if I can save the 500€ fee, I’d like to do so. Or if someone here is certain that it’s not okay (or uncertain), I can have it filled in again right away. What do you think: acceptable, better to fill with concrete right away, or an individual decision for a structural engineer?
Thanks for your assessment.
G
GeradeSchräg29 Jan 2022 10:23Just to clarify upfront: I am not a structural engineer!
Personally, if I understand your description correctly, I would leave the niche as it is.
After all, the wall is not completely open and still contributes somewhat to the structural stability.
If you want to be 100% sure, there’s no way around consulting a structural engineer.
You could also install a lintel =D you can find those at hardware stores for a few dollars, maybe that will give you more peace of mind.
Best regards
Personally, if I understand your description correctly, I would leave the niche as it is.
After all, the wall is not completely open and still contributes somewhat to the structural stability.
If you want to be 100% sure, there’s no way around consulting a structural engineer.
You could also install a lintel =D you can find those at hardware stores for a few dollars, maybe that will give you more peace of mind.
Best regards
D
Deliverer29 Jan 2022 14:29How thick were the bricks before the chiseling work?
#1, 36cm (14 inches) with plaster 40cm (16 inches),
I believe the one-third reduction is already accounted for in the structural safety of a load-bearing wall,
just a rough estimate, not from a structural engineer,
using a rule of thumb.
If no cracks have formed starting from the niche
I believe the one-third reduction is already accounted for in the structural safety of a load-bearing wall,
just a rough estimate, not from a structural engineer,
using a rule of thumb.
If no cracks have formed starting from the niche
Nida35a schrieb:
I think the one-third reduction is included in the safety margin of a load-bearing wall,
not estimated by a structural engineer, As a non-structural engineer myself, I still find there are not enough facts here to make a reliable estimate. In standard or thin formats, this should not be taken as lightly as in jumbo formats.
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B
brighton028731 Jan 2022 08:23Thank you. On Saturday, we had a bricklayer come by who, indirectly, also deals with structural issues and also thinks it’s not a problem. I had considered a lintel as well, but the issue is that the electrical boxes and wiring for the lighting are already installed at the top of the niche (the niche is in the bathroom), and adding a lintel afterwards would cover everything.
B
brighton028731 Jan 2022 08:3911ant schrieb:
As a non-structural engineer myself, I still find there is a lack of facts here to make even a reliable estimate. In standard or thin formats, this should be taken more seriously than in jumbo formats.Thank you for your input. I can’t specify the exact brick format right now, but I don’t think it is thin format or normal format.Similar topics