Hello,
we have purchased a prefabricated house that has been standing since 1979 and has basically remained unchanged since then.
This means we have to undertake a full renovation: kitchen, bathrooms, floors, ceilings, walls, heating...
The prefabricated house consists of a concrete foundation with prefabricated components built on top. Interior walls are 10 cm (4 inches) thick, exterior walls are 14 cm (5.5 inches) plus plaster and brick tiles.
My question concerns the interior walls. There is a wall between the dining room and living room that we would like to remove. Unfortunately, I am not sure if this is so simple from a structural point of view.
I have all the documents, including those from the structural engineer (from back then). I understand what he calculated there, but I can’t interpret it.
The documents show how the walls are constructed and installed, as well as how much load they carry. In the case of the wall in question, these are:
g = 18.09 kN/m (kilonewtons per meter)
or “with loggia”:
g = 25.8 kN/m (kilonewtons per meter).
I don’t know what to make of these values or how they affect my project.
Can you help me? Can I remove the wall?
Regards, xola
we have purchased a prefabricated house that has been standing since 1979 and has basically remained unchanged since then.
This means we have to undertake a full renovation: kitchen, bathrooms, floors, ceilings, walls, heating...
The prefabricated house consists of a concrete foundation with prefabricated components built on top. Interior walls are 10 cm (4 inches) thick, exterior walls are 14 cm (5.5 inches) plus plaster and brick tiles.
My question concerns the interior walls. There is a wall between the dining room and living room that we would like to remove. Unfortunately, I am not sure if this is so simple from a structural point of view.
I have all the documents, including those from the structural engineer (from back then). I understand what he calculated there, but I can’t interpret it.
The documents show how the walls are constructed and installed, as well as how much load they carry. In the case of the wall in question, these are:
g = 18.09 kN/m (kilonewtons per meter)
or “with loggia”:
g = 25.8 kN/m (kilonewtons per meter).
I don’t know what to make of these values or how they affect my project.
Can you help me? Can I remove the wall?
Regards, xola
I can only strongly recommend that you consult a structural engineer. My brother did a thorough calculation for his similarly aged prefab house as well. He also had about 6 meters (20 feet) of wall removed. In his case, a really substantial beam with side supports was installed.
And it’s not always just about load-bearing, but also about bracing.
Overall, no one here will give you advice, and without a structural engineer, you’re putting your life and your assets at risk.
And it’s not always just about load-bearing, but also about bracing.
Overall, no one here will give you advice, and without a structural engineer, you’re putting your life and your assets at risk.
xola123 schrieb:
Can such walls even be load-bearing? I don’t trust the exterior wall in this construction to properly carry any load. Yes, otherwise your roof would be floating. The timber studs bear the load.
xola123 schrieb:
In the structural calculations, every single wall on every floor is considered. That would mean every wall is structurally relevant. That can’t be right. It is.
xola123 schrieb:
I’ve heard you can span 6 running meters without support (pillar, wall, etc.) — is that true? In certain cases, yes. But these are accounted for in the structural calculations beforehand, and the other walls carry the loads. Special beams are installed in such cases, and so on. But that doesn’t mean you can just remove any wall up to 6m (20 feet) wide.
xola123 schrieb:
So there are actually good chances to safely remove the wall, or am I missing something? Yes, the structural engineering.
Again: consult a structural engineer.
Nearby, a house collapsed over a young couple because they removed walls without an engineer’s approval. The building insurance refused to cover the damage afterward. The outcry and fundraising campaigns were huge. I can only call that foolishness.
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