Which walls are load-bearing. How to determine if a wall is load-bearing or not: design features and house plans for designers. Bearing walls in a panel house

Hello. In previous articles, I described the features of hidden electrical wiring in multi-apartment residential buildings, namely, the conversation was about wall chasing. We can summarize these articles briefly: crushing load-bearing walls is not recommended apartment buildings. A simple and logical question arises, how to determine which walls are load-bearing and which are not? This is especially important when buying new apartment. The destruction of load-bearing walls can be an unpleasant surprise when moving to a new apartment.

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Why determine load-bearing walls in an apartment (office)

Answers to the questions "Why define bearing walls” or “Which wall, bearing” do not matter at all if you are not planning a major repair associated with redevelopment and / or laying new hidden electrical wiring. Both redevelopment and electrical installation are associated with affecting the structures of the premises and, according to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, require approvals and obtaining permits if these structures are load-bearing.

Legally, the question is as clear as possible. Violation of the load-bearing structures of a house (building) can compromise its strength and lead to its destruction (partial or complete).

In practice, some construction firms will safely tear down and pound walls, admonishing customers that "we do this all the time." This is not an argument at all, because the responsibility for illegal redevelopment and destruction of structures lies with the owner of the housing.

How to define a load-bearing wall yourself

There are several practical advice how to determine the load-bearing wall or not.

Residential building made of bricks

The thickness of the bearing walls in a brick house starts at 38 cm. All other walls, 12 cm (one brick), 25 cm (two bricks), 8-12 cm (lightweight concrete), are partitions.

Bearing walls in Khrushchev and stalinkas

The design of houses such as "Stalinka" and "Khrushchev" is shown in the photo.

  • 3 longitudinal walls they are bearing;
  • Between them are load-bearing diaphragms, they keep the load-bearing walls from falling;
  • Flights of stairs are held on load-bearing walls.

All other walls are partitions.

How to determine the bearing walls in the house: Khrushchev

On the plan of the apartment it will look like this.


Apartment plan

Serial apartment building from panels

We measure the thickness of the wall.

In serial panel houses, the thickness of the bearing walls is 12, 14, 18, 20 cm. The thickness of the partitions in panel houses, that is, the walls erected after the construction (assembly) of the house, ranges from 8-10 cm.

Conclusion 1. If the thickness of the wall (without the plaster layer) is less than 10 cm, it is very likely that this is not a load-bearing wall, but a partition.

Important! The design of a panel house is supported by load-bearing walls, and the destruction of the load-bearing wall violates the integrity of the structure of the entire house.

Find out the series of your house and see the architectural layout

Panel apartment buildings are serial and each house belongs to a certain series. On the Internet, you can find quite complete sites with descriptions and photos of serial panel houses. According to the house series, you can easily find the authors of the project and the project of your house. On the project of the house (apartment), load-bearing walls are clearly visible (they are shaded and / or thicker than the rest). An alternative to the project can be communication with the BTI or with the management company of your house.

Multi-apartment monolithic house

In new buildings, a monolith, it is easy to determine the load-bearing walls. Load-bearing walls are visually visible. flat concrete wall, bearing, the partition is lined with blocks.

In habitable monolithic houses, is somewhat more complicated. A partition is definitely a wall less than 20 cm thick. However, a wall thicker than 20 cm can be both a partition and a supporting structure. In this case, it will help to determine the load-bearing wall or not, only the architectural section of the working draft. It must be with the management company. The load-bearing walls will be shaded.

What works for load-bearing walls are prohibited

In conclusion, it is somewhat impossible for load-bearing walls:

  • It is impossible to completely demolish a load-bearing wall in any buildings () and it is impossible to obtain legal approval for such a demolition.
  • move a load-bearing wall;
  • make an opening in the load-bearing wall without approval and design;
  • It is impossible, (in Moscow) to make any furrows for electrical wiring, as well as plumbing and heating pipes. (PPM No. 508)
  • Can! Drill load-bearing walls for hanging furniture and appliances, and you can also make through holes in load-bearing walls for the passage of water pipes, embedded electrical cables, and ventilation.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is quite possible to determine the load-bearing walls in your apartment on your own.

Today, old panel houses still occupy a large share of the housing stock in our country. The inhabitants of Khrushchev, constrained by the small area of ​​​​their apartments, are trying to re-plan their home, combining the rooms into a single space.

The redevelopment is associated with the demolition of fences. Bearing walls in Khrushchev, according to their name, carry the load from the structures of the house.

Thin walls serve as partitions that can be demolished without violating the load-bearing capacity of the five-story building frame. In this article, we will talk about whether it is possible to demolish load-bearing walls in panel houses of old buildings, and how best to do this.

What are load bearing walls


The lower the floor, the thicker the load-bearing wall

If you live in such an apartment, then you can easily determine which walls are load-bearing and which serve as partitions. How to identify a load bearing wall? in panel house 5 floors has a transverse dimension of 120 mm or more. The lower the floor, the thicker the walls.

So that you do not suffer from the definition of the main vertical fences, contact the BTI. There you can get a copy of the plan of the apartment, where you can see the location of the load-bearing walls.

The technical passport also has a layout drawing. The technical passport is an integral part of the general package of documents for the ownership of housing and must be present in every apartment owner.

Demolition of walls in panel houses

The dismantling of vertical railings is usually caused by the need to combine rooms into one spacious living room or large hall.

Often there are options for redevelopment of living space in order to turn the apartment into one common room - a studio.

That is, all the walls separating are demolished. The bathroom and toilet are combined into a common bathroom.

Dismantling and moving partitions

To remove the partition, you will need the following tool:

  • perforator with nozzles;
  • a hammer;
  • metal wedges;
  • grinder with an abrasive wheel for metal.

Knock down a layer of plaster with a perforator and disassemble the masonry

Demolition of the fence is carried out in several steps:

  1. A perforator with a metal sting knocks down a layer of plaster.
  2. Brickwork is dismantled from top to bottom. A perforator in jackhammer mode breaks cement joints. Bricks are removed and stacked in the corner of the room.
  3. In order not to cause damage from fallen bricks flooring, the floor near the partition is covered with some kind of soft material.
  4. If the partition is made of cinder block, the same actions are performed.
  5. In the case of a monolithic wall, concrete is knocked down, then the reinforcement is cut off with an abrasive wheel.
  6. Garbage is removed, bricks and pieces of concrete are taken out.

It is better to make a new partition elsewhere from drywall, fixed on a metal profile frame.

Demolition of a load-bearing wall


Demolish walls based on a copy of the floor plan

The dismantling of load-bearing fences must be documented.

Otherwise, the landlord may be fined.

And if the demolition entails the destruction of the structures of the house, then they will be subjected to criminal punishment.

In order for the demolition of load-bearing structures to acquire a legal order, a number of actions must be performed:

  1. Get a copy of the floor plan from your local BTI office.
  2. Order in the design organization the development of technical documentation for implementation.
  3. Obtain permission from local authorities to carry out work according to the project.
  4. Demolish the fence.
  5. Completion of works to issue the appropriate act of acceptance of work.
  6. On the basis of the act, make changes to the layout of the apartment in the registration certificate.

The dismantling of load-bearing walls is carried out only in the manner prescribed by law. Bearing walls in Khrushchev apartments between apartments are demolished only in one case, when both apartments belong to the same owner.

The technology of dismantling the bearing wall in Khrushchev

Variants of the bearing fence in Khrushchev and other panel houses are carried out in two ways. For more information on how to dismantle walls in Khrushchev, see this video:

Carrier beam tie-in

After obtaining permits, proceed to the following work:

  1. If load-bearing fences adjoin the wall on the sides, then recesses are made in their upper parts under the floor slabs (masonry or concrete is cut down with a jackhammer).
  2. The lower plane of the cutout must correspond to the calculated bearing area of ​​the crossbar. The design of the beam must meet the requirements of the project.
  3. The crossbar is inserted into the side openings. The crossbar can be reinforced concrete or made of a metal I-beam with stiffeners.
  4. Metal wedges are driven into the beam support points in order to obtain maximum thrust. This achieves a smooth transition of the upper load from the wall to the beam.
  5. They begin to disassemble the masonry or remove the concrete with a jackhammer.
  6. The reinforcement is cut with an abrasive wheel.
  7. After dismantling the walls, they take out the garbage and proceed to the finishing work.

Installation of vertical supports

Instead of a bearing fence, support columns are installed at the corners of the room. In order for the process of transferring the load from the wall smoothly to the supporting platforms of the columns, jacks are used in the form of hydraulic props. Such jacks can be rented from a construction company. For more information on how to make an opening in a load-bearing wall, see this video:

The order of work is as follows:

  • jacks in an amount corresponding to the upper floor slabs are placed on both sides of the wall;
  • hydraulic props rest with their upper platforms against floor slabs. The load smoothly flows "on the shoulders" of the jacks;
  • make the dismantling of the fence;
  • install supports in the form of columns; support platforms are located in the middle of the docking joints of the plates;
  • in the case of a large span of overlap, a beam is laid on the columns.

In order to ensure security measures, professionals with documents on the level of qualification are allowed to this type of work.

Many owners of apartments in panel houses dream of redevelopment to expand space and make more rational use of the living area. But not everyone knows what actions can or cannot be performed with such a procedure. For example, load-bearing walls in panel houses (and not only in them) are prohibited from being demolished. The main issues related to the redevelopment of an apartment in such a building will be discussed further.

Definition of change

Replanning is a change in the configuration of the premises. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation stipulates that any changes to the apartment must be reflected in the registration certificate and approved by government agencies. Redevelopment is considered: the transfer of openings of windows and doors, the change of walls (supporting and partitions), the division of space, the transfer of the kitchen part and the bathroom.

Usually, apartment owners limit themselves to removing interior partitions to expand the living area.

Important: It is necessary to clearly plan such a procedure in order to maintain the supporting structures in an unchanged state. If a mistake is made and the carrier plane is removed, the apartments below may suffer: without support, ceilings may collapse.

The concept of "bearing wall"

From an architectural point of view, the planes in the building are divided into 2 types:

  1. Bearing walls (NS). These vertical structures are made in such a way that they can withstand significant weight. The reliability of the entire building depends on the quality of such a wall.
  2. Partitions. They serve to divide the room into zones. They are not subject to significant loads, but they must withstand some weight.

The owner of the housing has the right to change or demolish only partitions, any impact on the supporting structure is prohibited. If the owner decides to make changes to the National Assembly, he needs to obtain permission from the relevant institutions. Such paper is provided only after the implementation of detailed calculations and with the introduction of reservations. After an unplanned opening has been made in the plane, it must be strengthened so that these supports are replaced and are not inferior in strength to the removed element.

Tip: If the owner arbitrarily made changes to the carrier block, considering the appeal to the housing inspection as unnecessary and unimportant, he may encounter a number of problems when selling, privatizing, donating or exchanging housing.

Housing inspection specialists will apply penalties to such a citizen and a requirement to return the original structure at their own expense. In rare situations, such redevelopment can be legalized, but the payment of a fine is mandatory in any case.

Read also: How to get a guardianship permit to sell an apartment to a minor

The main way to determine the National Assembly

The main and unmistakable way to determine which walls are bearing in a panel house is to study technical passport or building design. To do this, you need to contact the executive committee, where the Capital Construction Department is located. As a rule, it is not even required to write an application - the interested person will be provided with a constructive plan, from which a copy can be made for more detailed study. The registration certificate for the apartment also indicates the location of the load-bearing walls and partitions.

Definition by the location of the vertical structure

NS are usually at right angles to the floor beams. If the ceiling is made of concrete slabs, then their ends must lie on the supporting structure. Basically, these are external, inter-apartment and inter-unit walls.

The base of the room (its box) is surrounded by supporting planes. These include:

  1. External walls facing the street (courtyard). Some people mistakenly believe that the walls in the courtyard are not supporting - this is a big misconception.
  2. Structures that enclose the apartment from the staircase and elevator space.
  3. Walls between neighboring apartments. But it is impossible to assume with certainty that the interior planes are partitions. In some panel houses of 5 floors, load-bearing walls are located even between rooms.

Partitions cannot serve as an accurate guide. A person who is not a specialist in this field will not be able to accurately determine the HC without dismantling the coating.

Orientation to vertical plane thickness

This method is the most reliable in addition to studying the technical documentation. But, after taking measurements, you need to determine their value. In a brick house, if the thickness of the structure is 38 cm, this means that it is supporting. In this case, even a tape measure is not required: 3 bricks (add seams) serve as a guide. Partitions are made with a thickness of 1-2 bricks.

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 bodies monitoring compliance with applicable 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-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. 1. Contacting the BTI. The Bureau of Technical Inventory keeps the technical passport of each house.
  2. 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, it is not necessary to immediately start dismantling work, it is recommended to first take measurements 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.

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.

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We are looking for a carrier in a panel house

The most common residential buildings are panel-type houses.
depending on the series of the house, the location of the carriers is different. In any case, there are much more of them than partitions. One of the most simple ways definition is thickness measurement. So, remember that basically its value for partitions in panel houses is 80-100 mm, but the carriers can be 120, 140, 160, 180 and 200. When measuring the thickness, it is worth considering the layer of plaster. It must either be removed at the place where the wall was measured, or subtracted from the result obtained.

In 80% of cases, the partitions of panel houses consist of drywall, and their thickness is 80 mm. Thus, everything that is thinner than 120 we attribute to partitions, but if the measurements are higher than the specified figure, then the walls are load-bearing. Of course, it may happen that the indicator is equal to 120 mm. Then you should use the services of engineers who developed the layout of the house. One way or another, even if you yourself determine that this wall can be dismantled, you will need a technical opinion from engineers. Only on its basis any redevelopment is allowed.

We are looking for a carrier in a brick house

Now let's talk about the old brick buildings. The walls of such houses have different thicknesses depending on the number of bricks in the masonry. The length of a standard brick is 120 mm. Seams between brickwork have an index of 10 mm. Thus, if it consists of two rows of bricks, then the value will be calculated as follows: 120 + 120 + 10 = 250 mm. According to further calculations, a brick wall can be sized: 380 mm (three rows of 120 and two seams of 10), 510 mm (four rows of 120 and three seams of 10), 640 mm (five rows of 120 and four seams of 10) .

Now we explain how to recognize the load-bearing wall in a brick house. And everything is extremely simple: again, by measuring. The walls in such houses separating the apartments are partitions and have a thickness of 250 mm (double masonry). Ordinary partitions between rooms are either 80 or 120. The rest of the walls are load-bearing - they can be 380, 510, 640 and higher.

By the way, there are old houses with wooden floor. Even wooden partitions can be load-bearing. Initially, they did not perform such a function, but subsequently became a support for floors from above.

We are looking for a carrier in a monolithic house


Monolithic houses are distinguished by a huge variety of layouts. Here you can only be sure for sure that there is a partition in front of you. Therefore, if possible, you will need to find a house project, as well as consult with an engineer from the developer company without fail.

Although you can again resort to the method of determining load-bearing walls by measuring the thickness. The value of a monolithic wall can be 200, 250, 300 or more. Having measured it, do not rush to make hasty conclusions. So, if its thickness is less than 200 mm, then this means 99% that you have measured the partition. But if this indicator, for example, is 200 mm, then this does not always confirm the opposite. The fact is that monolithic houses involve the use of foam blocks, which are a special type of partitions.

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What is a load bearing wall?

First, find out what a load-bearing wall is and where it is located. Bearing walls perform an important task - they maintain the integrity of the entire structure. Columns and beams sometimes act as load-bearing elements, but this does not change their purpose. Since all elements of the roof and floor structure rest on the wall, it is important to know during redevelopment how to determine the load-bearing wall in the house.


If you demolish it, then this can lead to bad consequences, starting with a crack that appears on the house and ending with the complete destruction of the structure. Unlike conventional carriers interior walls hold only their own weight, and also perform a separating function. For repairs to be carried out safely and correctly, it is worth contacting specialists for help. Only they know how to determine if a wall is load-bearing or not.

Do not forget about the special permission for redevelopment, which is issued by specialists from the technical inventory bureau. It will indicate which walls can be destroyed and modified, and which are prohibited.

Methods for determining load-bearing walls

There are several ways to determine whether a load-bearing wall or not in a house. Accurate and easy to do is the study of the structural plan of the house. This document is in the Department of Capital Construction. Also, do not forget about the existence of a technical passport. If the landlord knows how to read construction drawings, it will not be difficult for him to determine the load-bearing wall in the house.

Load-bearing walls are often defined by thickness and location. When measuring the thickness of the wall, it is first necessary to remove the wallpaper, clean the surface from old plaster. Only then can measurements begin. The parameters of the load-bearing walls of all houses are different, for example:

  1. The load-bearing walls in a brick house are thirty-eight centimeters thicker. The more bricks laid out, the greater the thickness.
  2. In panel houses, the situation is slightly different. Here, all walls exceeding fourteen centimeters are load-bearing. In such a house, redevelopment is difficult and almost impossible. After all, most of the walls in a panel house are load-bearing.
  3. In monolithic houses, walls thicker than twenty centimeters are load-bearing. In houses, it is quite difficult to determine the thickness of the load-bearing wall. Therefore, it is easier to take a general floor plan from the developer.

All external walls form the basis of the building, being supporting.

openings

After the load-bearing walls in the apartment are determined, certain restrictions associated with redevelopment will appear. It is impossible to completely demolish a load-bearing wall. It is better to make an opening or a niche in it - this is a safer option. The number of openings in load-bearing walls is limited.

If it is necessary to make an opening in such a design, it is better to seek help from professionals. It is dangerous to carry out such work on your own, moreover, without special permits and papers with redevelopment made, such an apartment will become a burden.

There are situations when partial demolition of a load-bearing wall is necessary. In this case, an engineer is indispensable. Even a small window or door opening requires appropriate permits and licenses.

Only true professionals in their field can not only make an opening in the load-bearing wall, but also enhance strength. This will help avoid its destruction. A metal or reinforced concrete lintel is used as a wall support.

Bearing walls in a panel house

Most panel houses have a typical design code for the project they were built on. Therefore, before proceeding with redevelopment, you need to know how to determine the load-bearing wall in a panel house.

To find load-bearing walls in a panel house, you can use the database of these structures. It makes it possible to see the layout of apartments from each series and choose your house according to the code. Another way is to measure the walls. Thickness self-supporting walls in a panel house it ranges from 80 millimeters to 1 meter, while the thickness of the load-bearing walls is from 140 to 200 mm. The higher the indicator, the more likely it is a load-bearing wall. It is important to remember that demolishing it in a panel house will lead to the destruction of the building.

How to find out if a load-bearing wall in a brick house?

To find out how to determine the load-bearing wall in a brick house, you need to add the thickness of the vertical mortar joint to the size of the brick. That is, the thickness depends on how many bricks are supplied. Brick walls can be 120, 250, 380 mm thick, and so on, plus more finishing layers.

Carriers brick walls have a thickness of three hundred and eighty millimeters and above. If self-supporting structures are made of gypsum concrete panels and bricks, then in this case the interior partitions will be 250 mm. Thus, load-bearing walls in brick houses have a thickness of 380 mm. If during measurements the thickness is less than 380 mm, then such a wall is an ordinary partition. Finding brick houses by series is more difficult than panel houses, since there are much fewer of them.

Bearing walls in Khrushchev

All Khrushchevs were built according to the same type. They have three load-bearing walls and additional transverse ones, which serve as a support for the load-bearing ones and prevent them from tipping over. This list also includes the transverse walls of the staircase. They hold not only load-bearing structures, but also flights of stairs, thus, they also become load-bearing.

How to determine the load-bearing wall in a brick apartment? Can it be dismantled or not? The slabs that are located between the floors are supported by load-bearing or transverse reinforced concrete walls and beams.

If we talk about modern buildings, then studio apartments are very popular. In such rooms, many do without redevelopment, they simply divide the space with furniture. To make a smart home out of an ordinary apartment, you need to completely or partially dismantle the walls, leaving only the box. However, such global changes will negatively affect the integrity of the building, especially if it is old.

How to find a load-bearing wall in a monolithic house?

Interested in how to determine the load-bearing wall or not in a monolithic house? These buildings have a variety of architectural and design features. They combine conventional load-bearing walls, columns, beams and rectangular columns. The thickness of the bearing walls is 200-300 mm, and the thickness of the columns in monolithic houses is an order of magnitude higher. All walls less than 200 mm thick are considered partition walls.

When we are talking about new buildings, then the supporting structures are easy to determine by simply examining them. They are clearly visible because they are made of reinforced concrete. Also, on the bearing walls, holes sealed with mortar are visible.

What can be done with a load-bearing wall

As already known, the structure is the basis of the building and holds the main load, it must be handled carefully and carefully. Before determining whether it is a load-bearing wall or not, you should find out what actions are prohibited in relation to it:

  1. It cannot be completely demolished, as this will affect the stability of the entire structure.
  2. It is forbidden to transfer it to another place.
  3. It is forbidden to mount wiring and conduct communications in it.

Despite these prohibitions, the load-bearing wall is still not untouchable, you can make a doorway in it, decorate an arch or a partition between rooms, drill through it.

How to agree on a redevelopment

Before carrying out redevelopment, it is necessary to obtain permits from the relevant authorities. Since residents do not always correctly determine the type of wall covering, dismantle the load-bearing wall, these approvals are mandatory. Therefore, the question of how to determine the load-bearing wall according to the building plan can play a bad joke on the residents.


Do not neglect the rules, otherwise the building will become illegal, and the owner will be fined. It follows from this that it is better to spend time on official instances and get all the permissions than to suffer from the mistakes made.

If you decide whether to redevelop the premises or not, you should remember that even a harmless mistake in the calculations when doing this work can provoke serious problems. By doing it, you risk your life and the lives of other household members.

Since it is not always possible to determine the option of a load-bearing wall, it is better to use the services of a specialist. Nevertheless, having decided to do the work yourself and knowing how to determine where the load-bearing walls are, be extremely careful and vigilant, because you already know what a possible deviation in calculations or reasoning regarding the type of wall covering and its nature entails.

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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 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 masters. The InnovaStroy company carries out turnkey repairs of 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 of repairs does not cause difficulties. If the question arises, how to determine the load-bearing wall or not, it is necessary to determine the type of building 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 the beginning dismantling works 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.

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How do you know if a wall is load bearing?

The easiest way is to look at the project at home. All walls are clearly marked. The plan must be kept in the city administration, in the department of capital construction.

In addition, you can also use the plan of the apartment, which is located in those. passport or house book. However, for this you need to be able to read blueprints or have experience in construction.

Video: Olga Rozina: how to define a wall

If for some reason the plan cannot be found, then the purpose can be understood for some reasons. characteristics. So, for example, if there is a neighboring apartment behind the wall, the entrance or street is load-bearing.

Another way to find out is by thickness. If you live in a brick house and the thickness of the partition is 38 cm, then it is load-bearing. In the panel, the thickness of the bearing walls is 14 cm or more.

In a brick house

In brick houses, the thickness of the exterior starts from 38 cm, between apartments from 25 cm, interior - 8 - 12 cm. The main material in the construction of such houses is silicate and red brick.

Gypsum boards can be used for partitions. By measuring the wall, for example, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe doorway, you can understand whether it is capital or a partition.

However, this method is not suitable for all houses. For example, in the 90s, houses were built according to individual projects, so if there is no plan, then only the author of the project can determine.

In the panel

Since the panel house consists almost entirely of carriers, it will be very difficult to implement the planned redevelopment. The load-bearing walls include - inter-apartment, external and adjacent to the external. In addition, the walls of the bathrooms can also be load-bearing.

Interior partitions have a thickness of 8 - 10 mm. There are partitions and 12 cm each, but this is a rare exception. To determine the purpose of the walls in this case, it is better to contact specialists who will draw a conclusion only after studying the design features of the building and decide whether redevelopment can be done.

In monolithic houses

A monolithic house is a building, the foundation of which smoothly passes into the wall. In such buildings, any wall with a thickness of more than 20 cm is a load-bearing wall. Such buildings are usually made according to an individual project; it will not be possible to determine using its size.

It happens that the usual interior partition in monolithic buildings has a thickness of more than 20 cm. There are monolithic houses in which load-bearing walls are completely absent. They are replaced by reinforced concrete columns.

And in this case, you can’t do without a drawing and a plan. If they are not available, you will have to contact specialized companies.

Work carried out on load-bearing walls

When working on solid walls, remember that electrical wiring can be hidden in the wall, if damaged, you can get injured. In older houses, there may be gas pipes in the wall.

You need to work as carefully as possible and with extreme caution, if possible, adhere to the project documentation. Remember that they cannot be demolished completely, as the floors will remain without support.

If partial removal is required, then supports must be installed in the opening, which can then be hidden under the finish.

Watch the video: What walls can be demolished in a socket

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Recognize load-bearing walls

Regardless of which house your home is in - a panel Khrushchev or a brick nine-story building - it will definitely have load-bearing walls, and just interior partitions. The latter can really be removed without any consequences, violating the integrity of the former will cause serious troubles that threaten not only your apartment, but even the whole house. But sometimes the conceived project requires that a through opening be made in one specific place, or maybe the wall interferes at all?

In any case, you should not resort to dismantling without familiarizing yourself with the floor plan. If this is not at hand, contact the technical inventory bureau or try to determine the load-bearing walls yourself.

In panel houses

Without finding the technical documentation for the apartment, the load-bearing walls in a panel house are easy to determine by their thickness: the fact is that the main walls supporting the floor panels are always a little thicker. So, the minimum thickness of the bearing wall in a standard panel house is 12 cm, not taking into account the layer of plaster, finishing materials, and additional partitions are 2 cm thinner.

Usually, the inner walls do not affect the stability of the whole house, but only serve to divide the single space of the apartment into rooms. It is allowed to start work on alteration and demolition only after all the walls have been carefully measured, key structures have been identified.

And one more thing: nine-story panel houses in most cases consist of the main walls - such a structure is very similar to a classic house of cards. When planning to renovate an apartment in such a house, it is still better to familiarize yourself with the detailed plan before starting work.

In Khrushchev

There are several ways to understand which walls in Khrushchev are load-bearing:

  • the first, most correct one is to study the technical documentation;
  • the second method suggests paying attention to the purpose of the wall - if you have Khrushchev, then here the load-bearing walls usually divide the floor into separate apartments, and the secondary ones already divide each of them into rooms;
  • the same applies to areas separating the premises from flight of stairs or common corridors - they are always the main ones;
  • but the wall between the room and the balcony, unlike brick houses, on the contrary, does not carry an important load, but retains heat;
  • in a shared bathroom, you can safely demolish the partition - this will not affect the integrity or stability of the building.

There is another way to determine which walls are load-bearing - this is drilling: the thickness of the main partitions is such that one drill is not enough for a through hole.

Which ones can be demolished?

Removing an interfering wall in Khrushchev is somewhat easier than in a panel house. The only partitions that can be safely dismantled in the socket are the wall separating the bathroom and the partition between the room and the kitchen. In Khrushchev's houses, remove (in whole or in part) those of them that do not have an important function.

It is impossible to remove the main walls that hold concrete floors in any case. Their dismantling will certainly weaken the ceiling, the load on the foundation will be significantly reduced. The only acceptable option is partial dismantling with mandatory reinforcement of the opening. And the last thing: all work related to changing the layout of the premises requires obtaining special permits from the relevant authorities. We received the document - get to work!

Do not neglect the mandatory stages of work - measuring the thickness of the partitions, studying the plan of the apartment. And the best thing is not to be lazy, and visit the BTI, and understand for sure what object you are dealing with. Only in this case, the premises after the repair will not only improve, having received an updated look, but will also remain safe for residents.

Good luck with your projects and safe repairs!