Knocking through downstairs walls / hallway - anyone done this?

bluep

We're buying a house (hopefully) soon and it has two ok sized but not huge rooms downstairs (dining room and front room) as well as a hallway that runs the length of both rooms to the side - a normal kind of victorian terraced house layout!

We're thinking of knocking down the wall between the front room and rear room and perhaps also the hall way wall. I know this kind of open plan doesn't appeal to everyone, but we're planning to be in the house for a number of years and I'd quite like the feeling of space.

Has anyone done this kind of work (I'm assuming it will need structural support / RSJs and possibly a column to support the house where the three walls currently meet in a T shape - hallway wall being the top horizontal bit of the T). What kind of price did it cost? I know it depends massively on where and what you have done, but I'm interested to see what kind of range of prices it has cost other people. We aren't in London or South so prices tend to be on the low side here.

My husband is handy with decorating so I'm not necessarily talking about a spanking lovely perfect building job - more the structural main stuff...

BuildingFife

What is required will depend on whether you are removing load bearing walls or not.

ValHaller

bluep wrote: »

(I'm assuming it will need structural support / RSJs and possibly a column to support the house where the three walls currently meet in a T shape - hallway wall being the top horizontal bit of the T)

We are talking here of a T in plan view.

Not a good idea. A house has to bear loads in several directions, not just vertically. The T done in masonry is a significant part of the strength of the house against sideways loads. I have felt 3 earthquakes in this country and they all were mostly sideways movement. Think too of a hurricane.

The column will be fine for simply taking a vertical load, but you can expect it to flex against sideways loads.

Leave the T in place, even if you go open plan around it. And get Building Control involved.

skitler

ValHaller wrote: »

We are talking here of a T in plan view.

Not a good idea. A house has to bear loads in several directions, not just vertically. The T done in masonry is a significant part of the strength of the house against sideways loads. I have felt 3 earthquakes in this country and they all were mostly sideways movement. Think too of a hurricane.

The column will be fine for simply taking a vertical load, but you can expect it to flex against sideways loads.

Leave the T in place, even if you go open plan around it. And get Building Control involved.

just knock it down it will proberbly be ok, if not let us know how you got on. :rotfl: only joking. val haller is correct about the movement, youll need a structural engineer, and building control, maybe a architect for drawings then everybody knows exactly whats happening.

hope that helps:beer:

bluep

Thanks - we wouldn't consider doing anythign without proper advice from a structural engineer - just wanted an idea whether anyone has embarked upon something similar, their experiences and whether it cost £30k...or £10k... not got a clue as to potential cost and whether it really is an option...or not.

skitler

ive not done that before, I live in a caravan so we only use bricks to level it up:beer:. depending on the finish required id say 10k should cover it + the paperwork side ie engineers report, architect ect, but if you budget 10-15k you should get a top quality job. find a good builder ESENTIAL, and the hardest part.

best of luck regards:beer:

BuildingFife

It will be an option, and the T part would be ideally kept in an engineer/architect's calcs/drawings but in this day in age almost anything is possible.