Knocked through lounge doesn’t have any steels

startingout2016

We bought our house 2 years ago, it’s an end of terrace build circa 1900.

Back in the 70’s the house was updated and involved knocking through the front room and back room.

(It’s typical 2 up 2 down Victorian house)

It’s like many of the neighbours houses in this respect.

What I’ve noticed recently on visits to neighbours houses is they all have a visible point where the wall was knocked through.

Ours is seemless other than the staircase that runs across the middle.

Does this seem right?

Obviously the house must be sound as it’s standing and no signs of movement in any of the time I’ve had it

There have been no mention of it on the survey either

-taff

is it an enclosed staircase on either or both sides?

startingout2016

No it’s a 80’s style open staircase with treads screwed to steel stringers

Mr.Generous

Get a strong magnet and see if you can find an RSJ.

martinthebandit

As it's been like it has for 50 years or so with, I assume, no visible signs of movement or other problems I suspect it'll be fine for another half century at least*



*unless your planning on putting something heavy upstairs like a waterbed for example.

stator

Pull up the floorboards and see what the joists are resting on in the middle of the house

Mistral001

Are there any visible signs that the floor is structurally unsound, such as, excessive sagging in floors, unusually springy floors or cracking in internal first floor walls ?

no1catman

I moved into a house (1939) that has an extension added on to the rear reception room. there is no support going right across the ceiling, only pillars made up of the original wall at each end that come out about a couple of feet either end.

No problems apart from a small crack making an irregular line across that's a couple of feet away from the wall that was - probably caused when a new central heating boiler was being installed nearby - with floorboards up etc.

traineepensioner

stator wrote: »

Pull up the floorboards and see what the joists are resting on in the middle of the house

In which direction are the floorboards going? If they're going from the front to the rear of the house then the joists are likely to be at 90 degrees (from side to side). In this case the removed wall may not be load bearing.

startingout2016

traineepensioner wrote: »

In which direction are the floorboards going? If they're going from the front to the rear of the house then the joists are likely to be at 90 degrees (from side to side). In this case the removed wall may not be load bearing.

Thanks, i have checked under the carpets and the boards run front to back, so the joists are going side to side.

There is no sagging or cracking in any walls and we have been there 2 years now so thank you for the reassurance.

stator

If the joists are running in the same direction as the wall that was removed, you wouldn't need a support beam because they weren't resting on the wall?