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Supporting wall

i wonder if someone would be able to give me some advice please?
We would like to knock down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and we have a joiner who is going to do it plus move the kitchen cabinets. But how are we able to tell if this is a supporting wall? Its a plasterboard wall, sounds hollow when you knock on it. Does that mean its not a supporting wall? The other internal wall that this wall meets with sounds more solid so we think this could be the supporting wall. I'd rather find out before we started knocking it down. Is there a way you can tell before you start knocking the wall down. Is there someone I can get in to have a look ie builder, surveyor that can tell just by looking?

Comments

  • rdpro
    rdpro Posts: 607 Forumite
    A stud wall can't be a supporting wall. Supporting walls will run at 90 degrees to your 1st floor joists.
    If in doubt, get a surveyor!
    IT Field Service Engineer, 20 years with screwdriver and hammer :)
  • Joannaclaire
    Joannaclaire Posts: 242 Forumite
    You may well need council approval or building control application to knock through a wall. Worth checking just in case maybe.
  • Canucklehead
    Canucklehead Posts: 6,254 Forumite
    Good morning: Useful info here and here

    HTH

    Canucklehead
    Ask to see CIPHE (Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineering)
  • robv_3
    robv_3 Posts: 348 Forumite
    rdpro wrote: »
    A stud wall can't be a supporting wall. Supporting walls will run at 90 degrees to your 1st floor joists.
    If in doubt, get a surveyor!

    A stud wall can be load bearing. Even walls that started off life as non supporting can become load bearing over time as floors/ceilings sag. A competent builder should be able to tell you but to be 100% sure it will need to be opened up, eg floor boards up etc.
  • keeptrying_2
    keeptrying_2 Posts: 36 Forumite
    Thanks a lot for all your replies. Appreciate it...
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