rsj or no rsj

lagaaa

Hi
Have just bought a house and intending on knocking through a wall. Builder originally said I would need an RSJ, now thinks I won't. Should I take his word for this please or is the ramifications of this! Obviously not doing it is cheaper but don;t want to have knock on problems later. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you

Doozergirl

Ask a structural engineer to come and have a look. If you do need an RSJ then you will need a structural engineer's calculations to work to, and to conform to building regulations.

trumpton

What are you knocking through into what? If it is not a load bearing wall then you may not need an rsj, but to be honest if he thought you did initially, it may be worth having a structural engineer check it out and do the calcs. Probably cost a couple of hundred quid, depending on where you are in the country.

lagaaa

It is knocking through the kitchen to the dining room..I have no idea whether it is a load bearing wall or how to tell! Makes me sound a bit daft but am a bit clueless..have bought a house that needs fully renovating which as a clueless person is a bit daft but the only way I could afford a house!

iamcornholio

If the wall supports something - the floor joists, a wall above etc then you need a support over the opening. This support does not necessarily need to be a steel beam, but can be a steel or concrete lintel or even a timber beam

If the wall is load bearing, you need building regulation approval, if not you don't

lagaaa

How do I know if it is wall bearing...or is this only something a buildr or structural engineer would know??! It is a solid wall not a plaster board wall but hat is as far as my knowledge goes. Thank you for all replies.

Mankysteve

If its a solid wall chances are it's structural. But as other posters have said it structural engineers time you'd have to get a structural engineer not a builder to do the calcs to get building regs anyway.

iamcornholio

Ask the builder to explain if it is load bearing or not.

Not all ground floor solid walls are structural load bearing walls. As a rough guide, if you can see floorboards upstairs, and these are running in-line with the wall, then it may be supporting floor joists - but it can depend on other things too

If it is a structural wall, then if a standard lintel is used, then you do not need a structural engineer. Also, some councils will "pre-approve" steel beams too without requiring engineers calculations

gravitytolls

Contact your buildings det., they are often appy to take a look and advise.

You could lift a board upstairs and seec which way the joists are running ~ if the joists are running across it, you know its load bearing.

27col

gravitytolls wrote: »

Contact your buildings det., they are often appy to take a look and advise.

You could lift a board upstairs and seec which way the joists are running ~ if the joists are running across it, you know its load bearing.

Why would you need to lift a board to see which way the joists are running. Joists run at right angles to the boards, therefore, if the boards are at right angles to the wall, then the joists will be parallel to the wall and therefore are not supported by the wall.

bordercars

If you dont know what a supporting wall is you really shouldnt be doing the work. this is why you can no longer do big electrical jobs, to many people doing work not knowing what they are doing. as above though call your local planning office.