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Is it possible to find out where the load-bearing walls are in a monolithic house, in brick or concrete, without a building plan. How to find a load-bearing wall in an apartment and redevelop it correctly What walls can be demolished in a brick house

Many are faced with the desire to make some adjustments to the existing project of the apartment. And here the question arises - which walls are load-bearing, and which are ordinary partitions.

Let's immediately clarify what a load-bearing wall is? This is the wall on which the structural elements that are on subsequent floors are based. And what is remarkable, load-bearing walls can be replaced by beams and columns, as they perform the same function - supporting the integrity of the entire structure.

If it is wrong to redevelop and demolish bearing wall, it is fraught big problems- starting with cracks in the structure and ending with the collapse of the ceilings. In order to competently rebuild your apartment, you need to know in advance which walls can be demolished during redevelopment and which cannot.

Correct, competent and safe redevelopment can only be carried out by professionals - engineers and builders. Regardless of the scale of the reconstruction, be it a small niche in the wall or the demolition of an entire wall.
Therefore, the first thing that is done before planning is to invite specialists from the BTI, who must give you permission for redevelopment, in which all walls that can be changed or demolished will already be marked. And only after that it is possible to discuss the subtleties of redevelopment with builders and architects.

In addition, if you receive all permits before starting work, there is a chance that this issue will not be shelved. After all, apartments with unauthorized redevelopment cannot be sold, and if such a need suddenly arises, it is quite difficult and problematic to legalize a ready-made alteration. But if you are interested in knowing about the gradation of the walls in the apartment before the official verdict, we will tell you a few simple ways how to do it yourself.

Methods for determining load-bearing walls

So, the first, simplest and most accurate is to find a constructive plan of the house, which is stored in the capital construction department, which is located in the city Executive Committee, also known as the Executive Committee. Is there some more technical certificate apartment, which all apartment owners have, but you can only figure it out if you can read construction drawings.

If you could not get a plan, then you can try to determine the load-bearing wall by its thickness and location.

wall thickness

IN brick house- all walls thicker than 38 cm are load-bearing. The thickness of the walls in such houses is determined by the number of bricks laid out in a row. One brick is 12 cm, so simple arithmetic works: 250 mm is a wall of two bricks + a 10 mm seam between them. 380 mm is a wall of three bricks + 2 seams of 10 mm each. 510 mm is a wall of four bricks + 3 seams of 10 mm each. 640 mm is a wall of five bricks + 4 seams of 10 mm each. etc. Interior partitions are built of brick or concrete blocks and are 12 to 18 cm thick. The walls between the apartments are slightly thicker - 25cm.

In the panel - all the walls, thicker than 14cm - load-bearing. Unfortunately, in these types of houses it is very difficult to implement all your ideas, since most of the walls in such houses are load-bearing. Partitions in panel houses much thinner than load-bearing walls - only 8-10 cm. There is still a nuance - the thickness of the bearing walls in panel houses can be 12 cm, it depends on the series of the house. And how to be? Consider such a wall a thickened partition, or a load-bearing wall? The final answer will be given to you only by an engineer in the relevant organization that issues an opinion on the terms of reference for your project.

Wall thickness is measured excluding plaster and wallpaper. So it is better to take measurements after cleaning all the walls from the old finish.

In monolithic houses - a wall thicker than 20 cm - a load-bearing one. The surest way for such houses is to take the floor plan from the developer. Since there is now a huge variety of design solutions, in such houses it can be very difficult to determine the load-bearing wall simply by its thickness. For example, in a monolithic-frame house, there may not be load-bearing walls at all. And there are times when a simple partition is thicker than 20cm. So only an architectural plan can clarify this issue.

By location

The outer walls make up the "building box" and are load-bearing. Load-bearing walls also include walls that face the flight of stairs and interior walls that face the neighboring apartment.

So, when you managed to determine the load-bearing walls in the apartment, and it so happened that you need to change them, remember: you cannot completely remove the load-bearing wall, leaving the upper floors without support. You can remove only a small part of it, and place metal retaining structures in the resulting opening, which are then easily hidden under false beams. Or removing the entire wall, you need to provide reliable support with racks or columns. The thickness and location of which can only be determined by specialists during the issuance of a permit for the reconstruction of an apartment.

Remember! It is very important not to neglect the opinion of professionals during redevelopment and not to engage in amateur activities, which can be fraught with consequences, not only for your apartment, but also for the apartments around you.

It is quite difficult to determine the load-bearing wall in the house at first glance. If desired, make adjustments to the layout and design decoration apartments, the owners want to tear down some walls.

The main thing is that the wall does not turn out to be load-bearing. The removal of intermediate partitions does not affect the destruction of the building structure in the same way. The load-bearing wall is a support element for the entire structure of the building, which carries the load of the upper floors and distributes it to the lower ones. At the initial stage of redevelopment, it is important to determine which walls can be removed and which need to be preserved.

Before starting the construction phase, you need to know how to determine the load-bearing wall in the apartment? Global redevelopment of houses of multi-storey buildings entail a lot of consequences and difficulties in design, especially if you carry out all the stages yourself. The redevelopment technology is more complex, requires detailed knowledge and limits the implementation of one’s own ideas. In panel, monolithic and multi-storey buildings, redevelopment is more difficult, since it is necessary to obtain permission and coordinate the construction in the BTI authorities.

Correctly determine which wall is load-bearing can only professional craftsmen. The builders of the InnovaStroy company, together with the BTI authorities, carry out redevelopment of apartments and private houses of any complexity. The company's masters will make calculations, design and develop a detailed plan for future development. Inspection, determination of the possibility of implementing the wishes of the client is carried out already at the first visit to the facility. In the event of nuances and the need for urgent paperwork, the developers of InnovaStroy are also ready to provide support to the client. It is necessary to determine which wall is load-bearing in the apartment at the first stage of registration of ownership. Remodeled properties are harder to sell. And when delaying the paperwork, fines and obligations are imposed on the owner.

There are several ways to determine the load-bearing wall in the house:

1. We determine the load-bearing wall according to the constructive plan of the house.

If the document is not on hand, it can be found in the authorities:

Department of capital construction of the city;
Executive committee.

Knowledge of construction drawings will help the owner deal with load-bearing walls and in the technical passport.

You can determine the load-bearing wall in the house by its signs:

Thickness - the parameter is measured without plaster and interior finishing materials. Masters completely clean the walls before measurements or know the exact parameters.

In a house with brick partitions and a base, all walls thicker than 38 cm are considered load-bearing. Builders determine the thickness by counting bricks laid out in a row.

How to determine the load-bearing wall in a brick house?

Brick size - 12 cm;

250 mm walls: 2 bricks + joint (10 mm);
350 mm walls: 3 bricks + 2 seams;
510 mm walls: 4 bricks + 3 seams;
640 mm walls: 5 bricks + 4 seams;

Interior partitions built of blocks or bricks are only 12-18 mm. The walls between neighboring apartments are not much thicker - 25 mm.

In a monolithic type building, determining the load-bearing wall in the house is somewhat more difficult, since other values \u200b\u200bare used during construction.
Walls exceeding a thickness of 20 cm are load-bearing. However, the architectural plan of the project will help to understand more precisely, since the nuances modern construction may include various options deviations from standard sizes.

The owners of city apartments often have a question, how to determine the load-bearing wall in a panel house? Only an experienced engineer-architect can answer the question. In a panel-type house, all walls thicker than 12-14 cm are considered load-bearing. Redevelopment in a panel-type apartment is often much more difficult. Partitions are usually up to 10 cm.

2. Location relative to others;

All external walls are always load-bearing. In addition, the outer walls of the building make up its box and border on the front side of the building. The outer walls of the apartment, facing the stairway or neighboring dwellings, are also considered the main ones.

3. According to the design of the overlap of the beams

All load-bearing walls are clearly perpendicular to the main structure of the base plates. The upper plates rest on the walls with a shortened side.

What do openings in load-bearing walls say?

Once the load-bearing walls have been determined, the owner is solely responsible for damage, deformation, or pressurization of the elements. The creation of openings and arches in the load-bearing wall entails a lot of negative impacts on the box of the building and negatively affects the entire structure. The occurrence of cracks, shrinkage of the house, destruction of facade elements begins from the impact on the load-bearing wall. Depending on the duration of the existence of the building, the impact on the load-bearing wall can be completely destructive. This applies especially to multi-storey buildings old type: Khrushchev, Stalin, etc.

It is strictly forbidden by the BTI authorities to carry out a complete demolition of the carrier space. If the redevelopment is caused by the need to replace the supporting structure, it is necessary to arrange the space with the help of reliable support columns. The cross section, dimensions and thickness of the columns are calculated by the masters of the authorized bodies. Columns must support and systematically distribute the weight of all elevated floors.

Typical projects of panel buildings

Before determining the load-bearing wall in a panel house , we recommend that you familiarize yourself with standard projects panel buildings, which differ in code. First you need to determine the series of the structure, and then familiarize yourself with the detailed version of the drawing and its features. The layout of apartments and a detailed plan of load-bearing structures in the drawings are highlighted using color.

Panel house project code:

90-05;
90-06;
90-07;
90-022;
90-023;
90-031;
90-045;

The description of each project code includes the presence of designations for the main load-bearing walls and partitions. How to determine the load-bearing wall on the plan? It is necessary to consider in detail the drawing of the apartment and indicate the thickness of the walls. On paper, load-bearing walls are indicated by denser, solid lines.

Opening or niche in a load-bearing wall?

After determining the load-bearing wall in the apartment, many people ask about the formation of an opening or an additional niche in the load-bearing wall. Creating a built-in opening in many apartments in panel houses is acceptable. Compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities is strictly mandatory. It is allowed to perform horizontal and vertical chasing on the walls of the supporting structure. It is also allowed to drill walls and install internal dowels. Individual design of a house or apartment must be entrusted to professionals who bear full responsibility for the implementation of the dismantling and formation of load-bearing surfaces.

Design ideas for openings in a load-bearing wall

Complete dismantling of the load-bearing wall is prohibited. However, when forming openings, there are options for decorative filling of load-bearing structures. One of the stylish proposals of designers is the formation of an aquarium system on part or all of the wall.

Options for placing aquariums between supporting columns:

An aquarium in the space between the column and an additional interior partition looks stylish and attractively decorates the apartment.
The addition of furniture with an emphasis on the aquarium system fits harmoniously into the design.
When expanding an apartment due to the space of a balcony and loggia, window sill systems are often used in the form of aquarium stands. The built-in aquarium looks amazing and captivates the eye with a lively picture.
Embedded aqua systems in niches of load-bearing walls look great in bedrooms and living rooms.

Knowing all the rules, it is easy to determine which wall is load-bearing and it will be easier to plan further design with the involvement of craftsmen. turnkey repair work any level of complexity in apartments, houses and offices. Planning and redevelopment of buildings does not cause difficulties for the masters. In addition, customers are offered innovative developments and improvement of the comfort of living in an apartment. The company's specialists make the client's stay comfortable, and the list repair work does not cause difficulties. When the question arises, how to determine the load-bearing wall or not, it is necessary to determine the type of structure and know its features.

How to determine the load-bearing wall or not in Khrushchev?

It must be remembered that all the walls of the building box are load-bearing;
The walls facing the stairwells, marching openings are also the main ones;
The partition between the balcony, loggia and kitchen (room) carries a small bearing load, so it can be easily dismantled. However, before carrying out the construction demolition of the wall, it is necessary to make sure that the entire space is well-insulated so that the cold stream does not damage other walls of the room.
With ease, you can dismantle the interior opening in the bathroom. The thickness of the wall can take 10-12 cm, while it does not carry any main purposes.
Panel houses are the most unfavorable to the demolition of walls.
Before starting the dismantling of any walls, it is important to understand that a supporting structure is required.

To answer the question of how to determine a load-bearing wall in an apartment and how many main walls can be located in a building, we recommend contacting professional consultants from InnovaStroy. How to determine a load-bearing wall in a brick house? Using the above methods will be easier. Note that the main indicators of a brick structure are easily replaced by support beams, metal or stone. When forming decorated aqua systems, there is a possibility of additional pressure on the structure. It is important to realistically assess the fragility of the structure, and, if necessary, to carry out additional strengthening of individual walls of the building. Care must be taken when installing in an independent way. An error in determining the load capacity of the wall has a negative impact on the condition of neighboring apartments and the entire floor. If you are in doubt about how to determine the load-bearing wall on the plan, we recommend that you contact InnovaStroy for advice.

Studio apartment demolition walls without damage!

In modern designs, small open space apartments called studios are very popular. This layout is convenient for a family of 2-3 people. Many people want to redevelop large apartments in the studio, dividing the interior space with furniture. This option requires the complete or partial demolition of the walls, leaving only the box of the apartment.

It must be understood that such redevelopment requires the creation of supporting structures to distribute the bulk of the weight of the upper floors. Many professionals offer clients the use of frame technologies and the creation of decorative columns, built-in niches. This option harmoniously delimits the space and does not violate the requirements of higher bodies of technical bureaus.

Recall that the older the structure, the more significant the fragility of the main walls. In buildings of the old type, it is not allowed to carry the main structures. Therefore, without additional supports and a detailed calculation of the weight of the floors, dismantling is prohibited. Masters recommend seeking help from professional architects who will help resolve the issue of redevelopment without additional costs and violations of requirements.

Repair in old-style apartments is always a difficult task that requires the involvement of third parties. We do not recommend that you independently carry out large-scale actions to demolish walls one-time. Remember that turning to professionals, you save not only your own comfort, but also the comfort of your neighbors.

Before the beginning overhaul, involving changes in the layout of the apartment, it is necessary to identify the load-bearing walls. By law, such building structures are prohibited from dismantling, as it reduces the reliability and durability of the building. A preliminary determination of the load-bearing structures of the apartment will save the owner from many problems with government agencies that control compliance with current building codes and regulations.

How to determine all the load-bearing walls in your apartment?

Khrushchev and panel houses have load-bearing walls and thin interior partitions. Only non-load-bearing structures can be dismantled to unite the premises, the work with which will not lead to the emergence of dangerous buildings for users emergencies. The need to dismantle and move partitions arises quite often, the reason for this is the inconvenient arrangement of rooms in old apartment buildings and their small size. Simply put, the rooms are too small for comfortable living people, and their demolition frees up additional usable space.

But not a single load-bearing wall should be destroyed during the repair. Such partitions perform very important functions in the house - they take on the weight of the building structures located above. If the load-bearing wall cannot withstand all the load it receives, it will begin to collapse, which can eventually lead to the collapse of entire sections of the house and human casualties.

So that the repair does not lead to such negative consequences and you need to know in advance which walls can be dismantled and which cannot. There are two main ways to identify important structural elements of a building:

1. Contacting the BTI. The Bureau of Technical Inventory keeps the technical passport of each house.
2. Independent determination of the functions of partitions. If there is no time to visit the BTI, you can conduct special surveys in the apartment on your own to determine the load-bearing walls.

Search for load-bearing partitions in a panel house

In a panel house, as in any other, it is easiest to determine the purpose of internal structural elements using the technical passport of the apartment. If for some reason you do not have technical documentation, a load-bearing wall can be identified by a number of important features. The first thing you need to pay attention to when examining a septum is its thickness. In panel houses, load-bearing walls are always much thicker than ordinary interior partitions.

According to building regulations, the minimum thickness of a load-bearing partition in a panel house should be at least 12 cm. This is a net size, excluding facing materials on the wall, of which there can be quite a lot (plaster, wallpaper, paint, etc.). Interior partitions that do not perform load-bearing functions have a thickness of 8-10 cm (excluding finishing).

That is, to determine the load-bearing walls, everything must be measured, having previously cleared them of facing materials. Only after determination can you start planning a major overhaul, choosing suitable ways, tools and solutions for the reconstruction of a residential facility.

When taking measurements, it should be borne in mind that all the walls in the old nine-story panel houses consist of panels, and therefore many of them have load-bearing functions, which makes it impossible to dismantle them. It is forbidden to carry out a lot of work with load-bearing walls, in addition to dismantling - to create door and window openings in them without obtaining the appropriate permits from the responsible authorities, and even ditch them to install communications.

What walls can be dismantled in Khrushchev?

In Khrushchev, it is quite simple to determine the purpose of the walls. To do this, you can use the technical passport of a residential facility, and if it is not there, take special measurements. All Khrushchev houses are characterized by the same layout, and the supporting structures in them are usually only those that separate the apartment from other apartments, the landing and the street, and all internal partitions simply separate the rooms and can be safely dismantled.

However, immediately start dismantling works not necessary, it is recommended to pre-measure and find out the thickness of all internal walls. In Khrushchev, the load-bearing wall always has a thickness of more than 12 cm without finishing layers. If the wall cleared of cladding is thicker than 12 cm, it can be demolished without fear of negative consequences.

The wall separating the apartment and the balcony usually does not perform any load-bearing functions in Khrushchev. But dismantling it is still prohibited. The balcony is a cold zone and the wall separating it from the apartment is needed to save heat. If it is demolished, the apartment will be poorly protected from external weather conditions, which is why it is currently impossible to obtain permission to combine a room with a balcony from the housing inspection, with which redevelopment is being coordinated.

You can also find out about the possibility of transferring and disassembling a wall using drilling. In Khrushchev, the load-bearing walls are very durable and sometimes you have to change the drills one by one to create holes in them. To create a hole in a curtain wall, almost no effort is needed, the drill passes through it very easily.

Determination of the purpose of the wall according to the plans of the apartment

It is believed that the load-bearing wall in any apartment can be easily found using technical documentation, for example, a floor plan. apartment building. This is true, but to define functions internal partitions it is necessary to be able to work with project documentation, understand symbols, read diagrams, etc.

Unfortunately, there is no single generally accepted designation of load-bearing walls on plans that would be used by all design companies, developers and other organizations, so the owner often has to sit over the received drawings for a long time before he can find out which wall is load-bearing and which is not.

On the architectural and construction plans of the working project for the construction of an apartment building, load-bearing walls are usually distinguished by special shading. On plans from the BTI, such structures are indicated with a greater thickness than simple interior partitions, but not always. It is not uncommon for a wall to be marked with a thin line on the plans of old houses, but in reality it is a load-bearing one.

Owners are strongly discouraged from trying to perform wall measurements or data from the data sheet based on the results obtained. It is better to play it safe, order documentation for the house from the BTI and entrust the task of assessing the possibilities of redevelopment to professional designers.

Rules for the dismantling of internal partitions

Redevelopment is considered by modern legislation as a major, complex and responsible repair, which, if performed incorrectly, can cause a lot of harm. apartment building and its inhabitants. That is why the Housing Code describes in detail the correct procedure for redevelopment, from which it is impossible to deviate in any case.

The procedure provided for by law involves the preliminary design of a major overhaul and the coordination of the developed project documentation with the housing inspectorate or the local administration of the settlement. In order for the project to be successfully approved, it should be ordered from professional designers, whose qualifications are confirmed by SRO approvals and licenses from state regulatory authorities.

For approval at the MFC, it is necessary to submit a package of documents, which includes:

application from the owner of the apartment for redevelopment;
redevelopment project;
technical opinion from the designers on the possibility and safety of the overhaul;
certificate of ownership;
the consent of the people registered in the apartment for a major overhaul.

These documents will be transferred from the MFC to the responsible authority for approval, after which they will be reviewed within 45 days and the owner will receive a notification whether he is allowed to carry out redevelopment. If the housing inspectorate considers that the planned repairs may adversely affect the building, the owner will be prohibited from implementing the project documentation.

It is not worth ignoring the requirements of the legislation on the need to coordinate a major overhaul. If you perform redevelopment without the appropriate permits, you can not only violate the integrity of the house and endanger your own and other people's health, but also receive an order from the housing inspectorate requiring you to pay a fine established by law (up to 2500 rubles for individuals) and return the home to its original layout, which will have to spend an impressive amount of money.

Those who decide to do construction or redevelopment in an already erected building should know what a load-bearing wall is and what threatens its destruction. The purpose of the load-bearing wall is the ability to take on loads from other parts of the building, ceilings and roofs. In order not to face the danger of destruction of the building, before starting work, you need to determine which walls are load-bearing and carry out all the planned activities without touching these structures.

What is the difference

Walls are the main structural part of a building, but not all of them are able to withstand the load coming from floors and roofs. For this purpose, each building is equipped with load-bearing walls. To divide the space in the built house, partitions help, which can only withstand the load from their own weight. Such walls are called self-supporting. The purpose of each non-bearing wall is to act as a space delimiter, if necessary, simply allocate a separate room.

Simply put, load-bearing walls are structures on which something rests. In each building, load-bearing and non-bearing walls play an important role, but if the load-bearing is a reliable support, a high-quality frame of the building, then it is not a load-bearing partition, which, if desired, can be demolished during redevelopment without causing damage to the building. All walls are divided into load-bearing, self-supporting and non-bearing. Already by the name it becomes clear which of them are being built in order to take on the main load.

Such a partition can be built from:

brick,
aerated concrete.

As self-supporting walls in panel houses I install monolithic slabs. Such non-load-bearing walls can be used to create an additional passage by cutting openings into them and installing doors.

To correctly recognize which walls are load-bearing means to successfully carry out redevelopment without violating building codes and rules, without risking creating a situation, the end result of which will be the destruction of the building. , means to change the distribution of the load, and this will lead to a skew of the building, collapse of the ceiling and cracking of the remaining capital structures.

They provide security not only for the apartment in which repairs are underway or redevelopment is planned. The safety of dwellings located on the lower floors depends on their quality and integrity. The main difference between load-bearing structures and self-supporting structures is. Knowing the differences is not enough, you need to be able to correctly determine which wall is load-bearing.

It is necessary to know exactly which walls can be demolished during the redevelopment, and which should remain intact, at what thickness it is permissible to make an opening in the wall, and when it is too dangerous to perform such work.

There are certain requirements that I impose on load-bearing walls:

Strength and stability.
Compliance with all fire safety standards.
High level of heat, hydro, sound insulation.

Another feature of the load-bearing wall, thanks to which such structures differ, is the uniform distribution of the horizontal load exerted by the floor slabs. An important criterion for strength, reliability and stability is the thickness of the bearing wall. This value is set for brick, solid and panel interior walls.

Strict adherence to established standards makes it easier to determine the load-bearing wall in any building or room.

Definition

Having learned what a load-bearing wall is, you can understand how important the construction of this structure is in strict accordance with all existing norms and rules. Such walls are a natural continuation of the building itself, the beginning of which is the foundation. To avoid great difficulties and troubles in the process of redevelopment, you need to know how to determine the load-bearing wall in the apartment. In most cases, it is enough to carefully study the technical documentation and determine the location of the load-bearing walls on the building plan. However, it happens that there is no plan and you have to independently establish the quality and purpose of the erected structures.

The peculiarity of the construction of panel buildings is that in a monolithic house, reinforced concrete panels are used as a supporting structure. Their thickness is from 100 to 200 mm. The role of interior partitions are structures made of gypsum concrete panels, and their thickness does not exceed 80-100 mm. Thus, by measuring the thickness of the wall, it is possible to recognize the load-bearing wall, which is strictly forbidden to be demolished in such a building. Failure to comply with the established rules will lead to inevitable deflection and collapse of the floor.

One of key indicators is the thickness of the bearing walls in brick houses. To distinguish a load-bearing wall, you need to know its thickness, but it is better to have a building plan on which all load-bearing structures are marked. Self-supporting walls in the apartment, as a rule, much thinner capital structures. The thickness of the walls that take the load from their own weight varies from 5 cm to 400 mm. Such a partition can be built of drywall, but more often it is a wall built of brick (half-brick masonry).

An experienced craftsman will tell you how to find out whether it is a load-bearing wall or not in a brick house, but the size of the structure will also help to understand this. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that the thickness brick wall a multiple of this brick parameter, plus the thickness of the adhesive layer and finishing material. Thus, it is possible to find out which wall is in front of the builders. The thickness of the partition does not exceed 380 mm, and for a load-bearing wall, this size is minimal. The greatest thickness of the bearing wall in a brick house reaches 640 mm. The peculiarity of this structure is that it is possible to make an opening in such walls. This is justified by the ability to provide additional reinforcement to maintain a uniform distribution of the horizontal load.

To distinguish which walls can be demolished and which are strictly prohibited, their parameters will help:

from 80 to 380 mm - an interior partition that can be demolished if necessary;
from 380 to 510 mm - an internal load-bearing wall to be demolished, subject to high-quality strengthening;
from 510 to 640 mm - external load-bearing wall.

Brick houses or were built according to a constructive plan, hallmark which is the presence of 3 longitudinal load-bearing walls (green on the plan) and transverse walls, called stiffening diaphragms (highlighted in blue).

The owners of apartments whose windows overlooked the front side of the house had the opportunity to build an extension or even make an additional window. You can get more detailed answers to all existing questions by watching the video.

When starting to carry out work on the redevelopment of housing, you need to carefully study the plan of the apartment, which indicates the dimensions and purpose of the walls, if there is no opportunity to familiarize yourself with the documentation, then you should not make responsible decisions without measuring the thickness of the walls.

If you are going to redevelop, be sure to find out which walls are load-bearing. Many owners of small Khrushchev houses are trying to turn them into spacious studios with the help of redevelopment. However, it is not at all easy to change a doorway or a wall in a high-rise building, where almost every wall can be a load-bearing one, without endangering the safety of other residents.

If the redevelopment is carried out incorrectly and the load-bearing wall is demolished, this is fraught with big problems from cracks in the structure and even to the collapse of the ceilings. Correct, competent and safe redevelopment can only be carried out by professionals - engineers and builders. Therefore, the first thing that is done before planning is to invite specialists from the BTI, who must give you permission for redevelopment, in which all walls that can be changed or demolished will already be marked. And only after that it is possible to discuss the subtleties of redevelopment with builders and architects.

There is another reason why redevelopment should be carried out in accordance with the rules: apartments with illegal redevelopment cannot be sold, and if such a need suddenly arises, it is quite difficult and problematic to legalize an already finished alteration. But if you are interested in knowing how to determine the load-bearing walls yourself, we will show you some simple ways.

What is a load bearing wall?

What is a load bearing wall? A load-bearing wall is a wall on which structural elements of subsequent floors rest. Most often, redevelopment is associated with the demolition of interior partitions. But which walls can be touched, and which not - not everyone knows. Reckless demolition of structures leads to a change in pressure on the remaining surfaces and rooms below. In addition, ceilings left without support may not withstand the load and collapse at any time. In some cases, load-bearing walls can be replaced by beams and columns that perform the same function - supporting the integrity of the entire structure.

What is needed to demolish the wall?

Before proceeding with the demolition of a particular wall and its transfer, you need to consult a qualified specialist. In addition, a complete calculation will be required, taking into account the distribution of loads that must be transferred from old structures to new ones. You may need to change the power supply scheme along with redevelopment. Keep in mind that uncoordinated demolition of the walls of the premises can become an obstacle to the sale of an apartment and registration of a donation, but also entail penalties, which is why it is so important to agree on a redevelopment project. To do this, you will need a plan developed by the BTI service specifically for this type of redevelopment, drawing up a technical opinion on the demolition of the wall and obtaining a positive conclusion from the housing inspection at the place of registration.

What is rescheduling?

According to the housing code, redevelopment means changes in the configuration of the apartment, which require their inclusion in the technical passport. Redevelopment includes, for example, changing the location of load-bearing walls and partitions, moving window and door openings, re-equipment of storage rooms, arrangement of internal stairs, re-equipment of bathrooms, separation of large rooms, expansion of living space due to household premises, glazing of a balcony or loggia, replacement gas stoves to electric, transfer of bathroom, kitchen or toilet. Perhaps you did not know, but all these types of changes in the apartment are redevelopment and require approval from the relevant authorities.

What is a load bearing wall?

The purpose of the wall can be determined independently by its thickness or the material from which it was built. In panel houses indoor units(or partitions) have a thickness of 80 to 120 mm., and the load-bearing wall has a thickness of at least 140 mm. Most often, in such houses, the outer walls are made with a thickness of 200 mm or more. In brick houses, external load-bearing structures have a thickness of 380 mm or more, inter-apartment structures - 250 mm, and partitions - 120 or 80 mm. To accurately determine the load-bearing wall, it is best to use the BTI data - a detailed floor plan. There, thicker lines mark all the main walls, and partitions that do not have such functions are marked with thinner lines.

Methods for determining load-bearing walls

The easiest and most accurate way is to find a structural plan of the house, which should be kept in the capital construction department of the local executive committee. If you are able to read construction drawings, the technical passport of the apartment, which every owner should have, will tell about the location of the load-bearing walls.

Another way involves determining the load-bearing walls by the thickness of the wall, as we described above. True, there is a nuance in the case of panel houses, since most of the walls in such houses are load-bearing. There is still a nuance - the thickness of the bearing walls in panel houses can be 12 cm, which depends on the series of the house. The thickness of the wall is measured without taking into account plaster and wallpaper, so it is better to take measurements after cleaning all the walls from the old finish. And how to be? Only a qualified engineer will give you the final answer. Since there is now a huge variety of design solutions, in such houses it can be very difficult to determine the load-bearing wall simply by its thickness. For example, in a monolithic-frame house, there may not be load-bearing walls at all. So only the architectural plan and the conclusion of a specialist will be able to clarify this issue.

Another way is by location. The outer walls make up the so-called box of the building and are always load-bearing. Load-bearing walls also include walls that face the flight of stairs and interior walls that face the neighboring apartment.

Look for structural clues

Start at the lowest point in your house. To determine which walls in your house are load-bearing, it is best to start from the place where the main load falls, father-in-law from the foundation. If your home has a basement, start here. If not, try starting from the ground floor where you can locate the lowest concrete slab. Pay attention to the walls, the beam system of which rests directly on the foundation. Any walls that are located directly on the foundation should be considered as load-bearing and it is strictly forbidden to demolish them.

View the interior walls of the entire structure. Starting in the basement (or, if you don't have one, the first floor), determine the location of the interior walls. Track each interior wall through all the floors of your house - in other words, find out exactly where the wall is in relation to the bottom floor, then go upstairs to see if the wall goes through subsequent floors. If there is another wall, a floor with perpendicular beams, or another heavy structure above this wall, then it is probably a load-bearing wall.

Look for steel beams or pile beam structures. Sometimes builders use special load-bearing structures, such as steel support beams and pile-and-beam structures, to transfer some of the building's weight to the exterior walls. In these cases, there is a chance (but not a guarantee) that the nearest internal walls will not be load-bearing. Look for signs of the presence of large, sturdy wooden or metal structures, crossing the ceiling of the room and entering the wall, which is known to be load-bearing or external, such as volumetric horizontal protrusions crossing the ceiling.

Look for signs that the house has been remodeled. Many houses, especially old ones, have been changed, expanded and rebuilt several times. If this applies to your home, then the former exterior wall can now be the interior. If so, then innocent looking inner wall may be a carrier for the original structure. If you have any reason to believe that your home has been seriously altered, the best choice will turn to professionals to be sure that your exterior walls are really exterior walls.

Explore the building's history

Turn yourself into a historian for a while and carefully examine your home. Find the original building plans if you can access them. Depending on the design of your home, it may not be possible to accurately guess which walls are load-bearing and which are not. In this case, the original drawings or building plans can be a source of valuable information. House drawings can tell you where the supporting beams are, which walls were originally exterior, and so on. The original drawings can be found at the office of the relevant authorities (eg BTI), the former owners, the original builder and/or . In the end, you can pay an architect to draw the drawings of your house, although this can be expensive.

Contact the experts

Contact the original builders of the building if you can. The person (or organization) who built your home may have an idea of the exact structure of the building. If the structure was recently erected, you may not even be charged for a short phone call or consultation. Even if they do, remember that a relatively small fee is nothing compared to the catastrophic structural damage that can result from the demolition of a load-bearing wall.

If in any doubt, call the building inspector. If you can't figure out which walls are load bearing, you can hire a professional building inspector. Paying an hour for a building inspector is definitely worth it if you want to make a safe renovation.

Hire a Renovation Consultant

Some independent companies offer their services to building owners. These companies may have construction superintendents and other experienced home remodeling professionals on staff. When it comes to modifying a wall that you're not sure about its load-bearing role, these companies will be able to tell you what changes are possible, what changes are dangerous, and even definitively answer your question whether the wall is load-bearing or not. If you're interested in this solution, do a little online research of companies in your area to be sure you've chosen a trustworthy, reliable company.

So, when you managed to determine the load-bearing walls in the apartment, remember: you cannot completely remove the load-bearing wall, leaving the upper floors without support. You can remove only a small part of it, and place metal retaining structures in the resulting opening, which are then easily hidden under false beams. Or removing the entire wall, you need to provide reliable support with racks or columns. Only specialists can determine the thickness and location of the supports.

Remember that it is very important not to neglect the opinion of professionals during redevelopment and not to engage in amateur activities, which can be fraught with consequences not only for your apartment, but also for your neighbors. As stated above, demolition of a load-bearing wall can cause structural weakness and even potentially life-threatening structural failure. Keep in mind that all renovations can only be considered half-final, because the removal of a curtain wall may affect the possibility of changing the house in the future.