Old today panel houses still occupy a large share of the housing stock in our country. Residents of Khrushchev-era apartment buildings, cramped by the small area of ​​their apartments, are trying to redesign their homes by combining the rooms into a single space.

The redevelopment involves the demolition of fences. Load-bearing walls in Khrushchev, according to their name, carry the load from the structure of the house.

Thin walls serve as partitions that can be demolished without disturbing bearing capacity frame of a five-story building. In this article we will talk about whether it is possible to demolish load-bearing walls in old panel houses, 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 determine load-bearing wall? V panel house 5 floors have a transverse dimension of 120 mm or more. The lower the floor, the thicker the walls.

So that you do not have to worry about determining the main vertical fences, contact the BTI. There you can get a copy of the apartment plan, where you can see the location of the load-bearing walls.

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

Demolition of walls in panel houses

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

There are often options for redevelopment of living space with the aim of turning an apartment into one common room- studio.

That is, all the dividing walls 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:

• hammer drill with attachments;
• hammer;
• metal wedges;
• grinder with an abrasive wheel for metal.

Use a hammer to knock down a layer of plaster and dismantle the masonry

Demolition of the fence is carried out in several steps:

1. A hammer drill with a metal blade knocks down a layer of plaster.
2. The brickwork is dismantled from top to bottom. Using a hammer drill in jackhammer mode, cement joints are broken. The brick is removed and placed in the corner of the room.
3. To avoid damage from falling bricks floor covering, the floor near the partition is covered with some soft material.
4. If the partition is made of cinder block, perform the same actions.
5. In case monolithic wall knock down the concrete, then cut off the reinforcement with an abrasive wheel.
6. They remove garbage, take out bricks and pieces of concrete.

It is better to make a new partition in another place from plasterboard mounted on a metal profile frame.

Demolition of load-bearing wall

Demolish walls based on a copy of the apartment plan

Dismantling of load-bearing fences must be documented.

Otherwise, the homeowner may be fined.

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

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

1. Get a copy of the apartment plan from your local BTI office.
2. Order development from a design organization 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 work should be documented with an appropriate work acceptance certificate.
6. Based on the act, make changes to the layout of the apartment in the technical passport.

Dismantling of load-bearing walls is carried out only in accordance with the procedure established by law. Load-bearing walls in Khrushchev-era apartment buildings are demolished only in one case, when both apartments belong to the same owner.

Technology for dismantling a load-bearing wall in a Khrushchev building

Options for load-bearing fencing in Khrushchev and other panel houses are carried out in two ways. For more information on how walls are dismantled in Khrushchev-era buildings, watch this video:

Inserting a load-bearing beam

After receiving permitting documents start the following work:

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

Installation of vertical supports

Instead of a load-bearing fence, support columns are installed in the corners of the room. In order for the process of transferring the load from the wall to smoothly move to the supporting platforms of the columns, jacks in the form of hydraulic racks are used. These jacks can be rented from construction company. For more information on how to make an opening in a load-bearing wall, watch 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;
• The hydraulic racks rest their upper platforms against the floor slabs. The load smoothly flows onto the shoulders of the jacks;
• dismantle the fence;
• install supports in the form of columns; support platforms are located in the middle of the joining seams of the slabs;
• in case long span beams are laid on the columns.

In order to ensure safety measures, professionals who have documents confirming their qualification level are allowed to perform this type of work.

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

Defining Changes

Redevelopment is a change in the configuration of a room. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation stipulates that any changes to the apartment must be reflected in the technical passport and approved by government agencies. Redevelopment is considered to be: moving window and door openings, changing walls (supporting and partitions), dividing space, moving the kitchen and bathroom.

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

Important: This procedure must be clearly planned in order to maintain the supporting structures in an unchanged condition. If you make a mistake and remove the load-bearing plane, the apartments located below may suffer: without support, the ceilings may collapse.

The concept of a “load-bearing wall”

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

1. Load-bearing walls (NS). These vertical structures 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 homeowner 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 Tax Code, he must obtain permission from the relevant institutions. Such paper is provided only after detailed calculations have been made and with 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.

Advice: If the owner arbitrarily makes changes to bearing block, considering contacting the housing inspection 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 require him to return the original structure at his own expense. In rare situations, such redevelopment can be legalized, but payment of a fine is required in any case.

Read also: How to obtain guardianship permission to sell an apartment to minors

The main method for determining NS

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

Determination by location of vertical structure

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

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

1. External walls facing the street (yard). Some people mistakenly believe that the walls in the yard 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 we cannot confidently assume that the interior planes are partitions. In some panel houses with 5 floors, load-bearing walls are even located 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 NS without dismantling the coating.

Orientation to the thickness of the vertical plane

This method is the most reliable besides studying 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, you don’t even need a tape measure: 3 bricks (add seams) serve as a guide. The partitions are made 1-2 bricks thick.

Redevelopment of an apartment involves either the construction of additional walls or the destruction of existing ones. Most often, during this, the walls are destroyed, thereby increasing the living space. Such a radical decision is simply necessary, since this is the only way to expand the home, make it more comfortable; also, with the help of redevelopment, many people connect the kitchen with the living room or enlarge the bedroom due to the loggia. The only problem during renovation is how to determine the load-bearing walls in the house correctly. This information is important, and therefore you need to familiarize yourself with it, which is what we will do in the article.

What is a load-bearing wall?

First, find out what a load-bearing wall is and where it is located. Load-bearing walls perform 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 ceiling 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, it can lead to bad consequences, starting with cracks appearing on the house and ending with complete destruction of the structure. Unlike load-bearing walls, ordinary interior walls support only their own weight and also perform a separating function. To renovation work passed safely and correctly, you should contact specialists for help. Only they know how to determine whether a wall is load-bearing or not.

Do not forget about the special permit 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 house has a load-bearing wall or not. Accurate and easy to do is to study the structural plan of a house. This document is in the capital construction department. Also, do not forget about the existence of a technical passport. If the owner of the apartment 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 determined by their thickness and location. When measuring, you must first remove the wallpaper, clean the surface from old plaster. Only after this can measurements begin. The parameters of load-bearing walls are different for all houses, for example:

1. The load-bearing walls in a brick house are thirty-eight centimeters thick. The more bricks laid, 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 load-bearing wall thickness. Therefore, it is easier to take a general floor plan from the developer.

All form the basis of the building, being supporting.

Openings

Once 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 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. Carrying out such work on your own is dangerous, and without special permits and papers with the redevelopment done, such an apartment will become a burden.

There are situations when partial demolition of a load-bearing wall is necessary. In this case, you cannot do without an engineer. Even a small window or door opening requires appropriate permits and licenses.

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

Load-bearing walls in a panel house

Most panel houses have a standard code for the project according to which they were built. Therefore, before you begin 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 home using 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 load-bearing walls ranges from 140 to 200 mm. The higher the indicator, the greater the likelihood that 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 the load-bearing material is made of brick?

To find out how to determine a 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 finishing layers.

Bearers brick walls have a thickness of three hundred eighty millimeters or more. If itself load-bearing structures 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. Find brick houses series is more difficult than panel ones, since there are much fewer of them.

Load-bearing walls in Khrushchev

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

How to determine a load-bearing wall in brick apartment? Can it be dismantled or not? The slabs that are located between floors rest on 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 manage without redevelopment, simply dividing the space with furniture. To from ordinary apartment to make smart housing, 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?

Are you wondering how to determine if a wall is load-bearing or not? 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 load-bearing walls is 200-300 mm, and the thickness of columns in monolithic houses is an order of magnitude higher. All walls having a thickness of less than 200 mm are considered partitions.

When we're talking about about new buildings, it is easy to determine the load-bearing structures simply by examining them. They are clearly visible because they are made of reinforced concrete. Holes sealed with mortar can also be seen on the load-bearing walls.

What can you do with a load-bearing wall?

As is 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 a wall is load-bearing or not, it is worth finding 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 prohibited to move it to another place.
3. It is prohibited to install wiring or conduct communications in it.

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

How to coordinate redevelopment

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

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

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

Since it is not always possible to determine the type of 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.

Before starting a major renovation, which involves making changes to the layout of the apartment, it is necessary to identify load-bearing walls. By law, such building structures are prohibited from being dismantled, as they reduce the reliability and durability of the building. Preliminary determination of the load-bearing structures of the apartment will save the owner from many problems with government agencies that monitor compliance with current building codes and regulations.

How to determine all load-bearing walls in your apartment?

Khrushchev and panel houses have load-bearing walls and thin interior partitions. Only non-load-bearing structures can be dismantled to combine premises, work with which will not lead to danger for building users emergency situations. 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 people to live comfortably, and demolishing them frees up additional usable space.

But not a single load-bearing wall should be destroyed during repairs. Such partitions perform very important functions in the house - they take on the weight of those located above building structures buildings. If the load-bearing wall cannot withstand the entire load received, it will begin to collapse, which can ultimately lead to the collapse of entire sections of the house and loss of life.

So that the repair does not lead to such negative consequences and you need to find out 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. Contact the BTI. The Bureau of Technical Inventory stores the registration certificate of each house.
2. 2. Independent determination of the functions of the partitions. If you don’t have 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 the 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 the septum is its thickness. In panel houses, load-bearing walls are always much thicker than ordinary interior partitions.

According to building regulations minimum thickness load-bearing partition in a panel house must be at least 12 cm. This is the 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 first cleared them of facing materials. Only after determination can you begin to plan a major overhaul, choosing suitable methods, means and solutions for the reconstruction of a residential property.

When taking measurements, it should be taken into account that all the walls in old nine-story panel buildings consist of panels, and therefore many of them have load-bearing functions, which makes their dismantling impossible. It is prohibited to carry out many works with load-bearing walls, in addition to dismantling - creating door and window openings in them without obtaining the appropriate permits from the responsible authorities, and even cutting them to install communications.

What walls can be dismantled in a Khrushchev building?

In Khrushchev-era buildings, determining the purpose of the walls is quite simple. To do this, you can use the technical passport of the residential property, and if it does not exist, take special measurements. All Khrushchev buildings are characterized by the same layout, and the supporting structures in them are usually only those that separate the apartment from other apartments, landing and streets, and all internal partitions simply separate the rooms and can be safely dismantled.

However, there is no need to start dismantling work right away; 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 that has been cleared of cladding is thicker than 12 cm, you can demolish it without fear of negative consequences.

In a Khrushchev-era building, the wall separating the apartment and the balcony usually does not perform any load-bearing functions. 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 inspectorate, with which the redevelopment is coordinated.

You can also find out about the ability to move and disassemble a wall by drilling. In Khrushchev buildings, the load-bearing walls are very strong and to create a hole in them, sometimes you have to change the drills one after another. To create a hole in curtain wall There is practically no need to apply any effort, the drill passes through it very easily.

Determining the purpose of a wall according to apartment plans

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 must be able to work with project documentation, understand symbols, read diagrams, etc.

Unfortunately, there is no one generally accepted designation of load-bearing walls on plans that would be used by all design enterprises, developers and other organizations, so the owner often has to sit for a long time over the received drawings before he can find out which wall is load-bearing and which is not.

On architectural and construction plans of a detailed design for the construction of an apartment building, load-bearing walls are usually highlighted with special shading. On plans from the BTI, such structures are indicated as thicker than simple interior partitions, but not always. There are often cases when a wall is indicated by a thin line on the plans of old houses, but in reality it is load-bearing.

Owners are strongly advised not to attempt to take wall measurements or data from the data sheet based on the results obtained. It’s 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 dismantling internal partitions

Redevelopment is considered by modern legislation as a major, complex and important 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 performing redevelopment, which cannot be deviated from under any circumstances.

The procedure provided for by law involves preliminary design of major repairs and coordination of the developed design documentation with the housing inspection or local administration settlement. In order for the project to successfully pass approval, it should be ordered from professional designers, whose qualifications are confirmed by SRO approvals and licenses from state regulatory authorities.

For approval, you must submit a package of documents to the MFC, which includes:

• application from the apartment owner for redevelopment;
• redevelopment project;
• technical conclusion from designers on the possibility and safety of major repairs;
• certificate of ownership;
• consent of the people registered in the apartment for major repairs.

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 about whether he is allowed to carry out the redevelopment. If housing inspectorate employees consider that the planned repairs may have a negative impact on the building, the owner will be prohibited from implementing the design documentation.

You should not ignore the legal requirements regarding the need to approve major repairs. If you carry out redevelopment without the appropriate permits, you can not only violate the integrity of the house and endanger your own and others’ health, but also receive an order from the housing inspection requiring you to pay a fine established by law (up to 2,500 rubles for individuals) and return the home to its original layout, for which you will have to spend an impressive amount of money.

How to determine whether a wall is load-bearing

Many people, wanting to make their apartment more spacious, comfortable or more functional, decide to remodel their apartment. This is a serious decision, which accordingly requires a serious approach. It is not enough to simply make an opening in the wall or, moreover, to demolish it by combining two adjacent rooms. It is necessary to know which walls in the house are load-bearing, whether it is possible to make an opening in them or demolish them, so that this does not lead to a violation of the strength of the building and does not endanger its inhabitants. To carry out the work, it is better to contact a specialized organization that specializes in diamond cutting of concrete. In any case, redevelopment must be coordinated with the local government. Administrative punishment is provided for spontaneous redevelopment.

So. How to determine whether a wall is load-bearing?

Load-bearing walls It is customary to call walls that take on the load from the floors and roof of a building and transfer it to the foundation. The thickness of the wall depends on the material from which it is made and what load it carries. Load-bearing walls can be internal and external. Internal load-bearing walls are usually thinner than external ones - due to the lack of need for heat-insulating layers.

Designation of load-bearing walls on the plan

The first way to determine which walls are load-bearing is to look at the building plan. This can be an architectural and construction plan of a detailed design for a building or a floor plan from the BTI passport. Unfortunately, there is no standard for designating load-bearing walls on a plan. For example, in the architectural and construction plan, load-bearing walls are distinguished by separate shading, and on the BTI plan, by thicker lines, but not always. The wall can be marked with a thin line and at the same time be a load-bearing one.

Determination of load-bearing walls by thickness

The second way to find out which wall is load-bearing is by its location and thickness.

Load-bearing walls in a brick house

The thickness of the walls in brick houses is a multiple of the size of the brick (120 mm), plus the thickness of the mortar joint (10 mm), if there is more than one masonry. Accordingly, brick walls can be 120, 250, 380, 520, 640 mm thick, etc. Mainly in brick residential buildings internal partitions are made of brick or gypsum concrete panels with a thickness of 80 or 120 mm. Apartment partitions 250 mm thick made of brick or 200 mm thick made of double panels with an air gap. Load-bearing walls in a brick house have a thickness of 380 mm.

Majority brick houses built according to standard series– these are the so-called “Stalins” and “Khrushchevs”. Both of these types have similar constructive solutions and are made in the form of three longitudinal load-bearing and transverse walls, which support the longitudinal ones and, basically, are also load-bearing.

Also, the load-bearing walls are the walls on which the interfloor floor slabs rest (short side). Usually these are longitudinal load-bearing walls. There is an option when the floor slab rests on a reinforced concrete beam of rectangular cross-section. Which, in turn, rests on load-bearing walls or brick pillars. Interior or apartment partitions are usually installed under the beams.

Load-bearing walls in a panel house

In panel houses, the thickness of internal partitions ranges from 80 mm to 120 mm, made of gypsum concrete panels. And, internal load-bearing walls are reinforced concrete panels with a thickness of 140, 180 or 200 mm. External load-bearing walls in a panel house have a thickness of 200 mm. Most often these are single-layer panels made of expanded clay concrete with a thickness of 300-350 mm or multilayer panels consisting of two reinforced concrete panels with a thickness of 60 mm (external) and 80-100 mm (internal), separated by insulation. As a result, Load-bearing walls in a panel house have a thickness of 120 mm.

Load-bearing walls in a monolithic house

With load-bearing walls in a monolithic house, not everything is clear. It is not always possible to identify them. In addition, they may not exist (for example, in monolithic frame buildings). In residential monolithic buildings there are various designs. Such as monolithic load-bearing walls, columns, pylons, beams, etc. Standard thickness walls and pylons are 200, 250, 300 mm. The diameter of the supporting columns can be more than 300 mm. The thickness of the internal walls, usually made of aerated concrete blocks, ranges from 200 mm. Thus, the thickness of non-load-bearing partitions is less than 200 mm. But, the opposite is not necessarily true for a load-bearing wall. Since, in monolithic houses, partitions can be more than 200 mm thick (for example, made of foam blocks).

If any of the above methods cause you difficulties, you will need to seek help from specialists from design organizations to conduct an engineering survey. Most often this is necessary in the case of a non-standard construction, a building according to individual project or an old building.

The load-bearing wall is the foundation of the building; we do the redevelopment very carefully

Load-bearing walls are supporting structures

Load-bearing walls are the supports of the entire structure. After all, it is on them that the entire frame rests. Therefore, violation of this design can lead to disastrous results. Redevelopment requires special knowledge and qualifications.

Engineers and builders - only these people can correctly and competently carry out the redevelopment of the premises. Therefore, if you are planning to demolish a wall or simply make a niche, then you need to immediately contact professionals.

No matter how much work you need to do, even if you only want to make a recess in the wall, it is very important to adhere to the advice and opinion of professionals.

Start of redevelopment

Everyone knows that load-bearing walls cannot be demolished or broken. But sometimes redevelopment requires just that. First of all, you should figure out which walls are load-bearing and only after that decide what and how to do.

We do everything in the following order:

• You should start by inviting specialists from the BTI, who will issue you the appropriate permit if the redevelopment is possible and safe. The issued document indicates walls that can be demolished without compromising the strength of the apartment or house. After these procedures, you can contact architects and builders to begin redevelopment and further repair work.
• In addition, it is very important not to forget that the redevelopment must be legalized, otherwise problems may arise with the further sale of the apartment. However, it will take a lot of time and effort to legitimize the finished redevelopment.
• If you are interested in knowing in advance which walls in your apartment are load-bearing, then there are several simple ways that will allow you to install this. Each person can determine for himself which walls of the apartment are load-bearing, in order to think through future redevelopment in advance, and after receiving official results, simply adjust it in accordance with safety requirements.

Deciding to start repairing and rebuilding load-bearing walls, or making arches (see Arch in an apartment: transformation into decorative design) or doors, you need to decide how realistic it is to do this. And understand which walls in the apartment are load-bearing, what their function is and what can be done with them. Let's look at these questions in order.

What are the requirements for load-bearing walls?

Walls, ceilings, floors are load-bearing structures in principle in all buildings. Precisely walls, not partitions (see Partitions and walls - what is the difference).

They are presented certain requirements and if the design is changed, the requirements must be met, and they are as follows:

They must be strong, durable and stable, as they are the support of the entire building. The weight of both the roof and ceiling passes onto them.

How to determine a load-bearing wall

The walls of houses and apartments perform different functions and experience different loads. Load-bearing walls bear the load not only of their own weight, but also the weight of the ceilings. Having conceived major renovation related to redevelopment, you just need to know how to determine a load-bearing wall.

The load-bearing wall is installed perpendicular to the slab that rests on it. That is, the slab lies with its short side on the wall, giving it a significant part of its mass. Load-bearing walls are not always used in buildings. Sometimes columns or beams are installed instead. But basically, load-bearing walls are installed in residential premises during construction, which are easy to determine in some cases, but difficult in others.

Load-bearing wall - support for floor slabs

We note in advance that operations carried out with load-bearing walls, including internal installation Wiring, arrangement of niches and various openings should not be carried out independently without professional skills. About arches. doorways, extended sections or partial demolition are out of the question.

How to determine which wall is load-bearing

Most easy way find a load-bearing wall - get acquainted with the house plan. On it this wall is marked quite clearly. The plan can be found at the local executive committee in the department of capital construction management. You can also use detailed plan apartment, located in the house register or registration certificate. But in this case, the owner must have some construction experience and blueprint reading skills.

You can look at such a plan together with your neighbors living on the floor above. Their design should indicate which wall their floor structure rests on. If the apartment is on the top floor, you can climb into the attic and pay attention to how the slabs are laid.

Pay attention! If there is even the slightest bit of uncertainty, do not touch the wall under any circumstances, as this can be very expensive.

Brick load-bearing wall thickness

If it is impossible to obtain a plan, we will determine the load-bearing wall based on its characteristic features. The location of a wall can say a lot about its purpose. The walls facing the staircase hall, as well as interior walls, bordering the neighbors' apartment, are load-bearing. In addition, some external walls bordering environment, can also be load-bearing. They can form the box of a building and take on the entire load.

The next way to determine such a wall is to pay attention to its thickness. If thickness brickwork is 38 centimeters or more, and if the reinforced concrete panel is more than 14 cm thick, then these walls are load-bearing. Now about this in more detail.

Brick houses

The width of the brick is 12 cm. The cement joint between the bricks takes up an average of 1 cm. Simple mathematics tells us that 38 cm is a masonry of three bricks, in which there are two joints (12+1+12+1+12=38). 51 cm – 4-brick masonry; 64 cm – 5-brick, etc. Interior walls usually no thicker than 18 cm. The thickness of the walls is determined without taking into account the plaster. Therefore, before measuring, it is better to clean the walls of the old finish.

In brick houses built in the 90s and later, the situation is a little more complicated. They were most likely built according to an individual project, and the author of the plan will help determine the load-bearing wall.

Panel houses

Load-bearing walls in a panel house

In panel or block house It is very difficult to realize your construction ideas, since most of the walls in it are load-bearing. These include inter-apartment, and external and perpendicular to external walls. The walls of the plumbing rooms are also load-bearing.

The partitions between rooms are only 80–100 mm. But there are exceptional cases when in such houses the wall thickness is 12 centimeters wide. Should it be considered load-bearing, or is it just a thickened partition? In this case, you need to turn to competent people for help, who will make a conclusion based on architectural project buildings. They will decide whether further work can be carried out in the house or not.

Monolithic houses

How to recognize a load-bearing wall in a monolithic house? In houses whose foundation smoothly merges into the frame of the building, any wall more than 20 cm thick is considered load-bearing. However, in such houses, which are often built not according to the standard, but according to the customer’s design decision, to determine the load-bearing wall, it is not enough to be guided by dimensions alone. A simple partition in a monolithic house can be thicker than 20 cm. And there are houses where there are no load-bearing walls at all. Instead, reliable columns are used. Therefore, a building plan and drawing can be helpful. If for some reason they are not available, then you cannot do without a verdict from authorized persons.

Permission from relevant authorities.

Many do not want to get involved with officials and prefer to solve such problems important issues on one's own. But this is fraught with serious mistakes. Don’t be afraid to call specialists into your home for consultation and obtain permission. Moreover, if you find the slightest cracks, a damp or crumbled area on a wall, even if it is not load-bearing, invite an inspector who will assess the extent of the damage and give advice.

Pay attention! Any redevelopment, regardless of the type of apartment, be it a Khrushchev-era building or a cottage house, requires the consent and written permission of the BTI or other relevant public services. Work on load-bearing walls, even if performed by a professional, also requires a permit.

If you still have to carry out some dismantling work on load-bearing walls, it should be carried out by a competent specialist who knows how to install temporary columns that take on the weight of the slab instead of the wall. Representatives of authorized organizations and engineers licensed for this construction activity must monitor the process and carry out calculations of such columns.

Pay attention! It is impossible to sell an apartment with an illegal redevelopment, and getting a project for an already remodeled apartment will be very difficult and problematic.

There is no need to think that the planned work is insignificant and is not worth calling a team. The slightest mistake can cost the lives of many people, because an unnoticeable microcrack in a load-bearing wall can eventually lead to the collapse of the building.

Work carried out on load-bearing walls

Installation of support when demolishing a load-bearing wall

If you decide to carry out work on load-bearing walls, for example, to dig ditches, do it with the utmost caution. If there are sockets or switches on the wall. Remember that wiring is hidden inside the wall. which, if the room is not de-energized, can damage the power supply system and cause injury to the worker. If the house is old, there may even be gas pipe. Work carefully and, if possible, use a project where all these nuances are noted.

Pay attention! Never forget that you cannot demolish a load-bearing wall, leaving the floor without support.

If your professional skills allow you to undertake partial removal of the wall, do not forget to place a support in the resulting opening, which can be hidden over time with false beams.

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