Removing load bearing wall
Discussion
Sorry, kinda boring question...
I had my builder round on Saturday to quote on removing an internal load bearing wall between the kitchen and middle room.
He was rather vague on planning permission regs (if any) for this type of work, but was confident that an RSJ setup would be more than adequate. Do I need a structural engineer or can I let the builder do it from experience?
Can anyone let me know of their own experiences?
Many thanks,
H
I had my builder round on Saturday to quote on removing an internal load bearing wall between the kitchen and middle room.
He was rather vague on planning permission regs (if any) for this type of work, but was confident that an RSJ setup would be more than adequate. Do I need a structural engineer or can I let the builder do it from experience?
Can anyone let me know of their own experiences?
Many thanks,
H
B17NNS said:
As already said, get a structural engineer to design a beam for the job and then get a competent man for install it.
Also speak to your local building control who will want to inspect the calcs and the installation and sign it off.
Agree with the above.Also speak to your local building control who will want to inspect the calcs and the installation and sign it off.
You should get 3 quotes, and never pick the cheapest.
Autonotiv said:
B17NNS said:
As already said, get a structural engineer to design a beam for the job and then get a competent man for install it.
Also speak to your local building control who will want to inspect the calcs and the installation and sign it off.
Agree with the above.Also speak to your local building control who will want to inspect the calcs and the installation and sign it off.
You should get 3 quotes, and never pick the cheapest.
If someone wants to buy your house in the future it'll help enormously having the proper calcs abd building control approval.
And again, cheapest is usually a false economy.
You need council approval. Get onto them and they will assess if you need planning permission or a lower level of permission.
They will give you a specification of what is required to do the job properly.
For example, I wanted a window in a load bearing wall, a really big one. They came out, said low grade permission required. You need a certain specification of support above the opening. Tell the builder to order this, and gave me a note of the required support.
I had to phone the council and say “it’s been delivered”. The guy popped around later that day and said that’s acceptable, get it put in, but before it’s plastered over, call me back. So I called him back and again he came same day. He looked at what had been done, made sure we had put in the support he had approved and told us to plaster and finish.
A few days later we received a certificate from the council. This means that the job is of approved standard. Insurance companies can wriggle out of claims if you effectively destroy your own home. Mortgage lenders may not accept the property when you come to sell, if their surveyor spots unapproved work.
The whole process cost so little that the council cannot possibly have covered the cost of sending a structural engineer out twice. No wonder my council tax is so high.
If the builder is suggesting you do the job without proper supervision then it suggests he intends to do the job in a way that wouldn't withstand propper scrutiny.
If I thought for an instant that the builder I was intending to use was intending to do a cowboy job, he would be replaced. Very quickly.
They will give you a specification of what is required to do the job properly.
For example, I wanted a window in a load bearing wall, a really big one. They came out, said low grade permission required. You need a certain specification of support above the opening. Tell the builder to order this, and gave me a note of the required support.
I had to phone the council and say “it’s been delivered”. The guy popped around later that day and said that’s acceptable, get it put in, but before it’s plastered over, call me back. So I called him back and again he came same day. He looked at what had been done, made sure we had put in the support he had approved and told us to plaster and finish.
A few days later we received a certificate from the council. This means that the job is of approved standard. Insurance companies can wriggle out of claims if you effectively destroy your own home. Mortgage lenders may not accept the property when you come to sell, if their surveyor spots unapproved work.
The whole process cost so little that the council cannot possibly have covered the cost of sending a structural engineer out twice. No wonder my council tax is so high.
If the builder is suggesting you do the job without proper supervision then it suggests he intends to do the job in a way that wouldn't withstand propper scrutiny.
If I thought for an instant that the builder I was intending to use was intending to do a cowboy job, he would be replaced. Very quickly.
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