Find out that the wall is load-bearing. How to determine which wall is load-bearing

You need to understand what kind of wall is in front of you. Find out how to determine load-bearing wall inside the house.

Remember that dismantling or partial destruction is strictly prohibited. In some cases it is allowed to do doorway, but everything must be with the permission of the relevant authorities.

Before you start looking for a load-bearing wall, try to find documents with the layout of the building. They contain all the clues pointing to one or the other. So, you need to remember how many times the building was reconstructed and whether it was carried out at all. During reconstruction, anyone already questions all previous drawings with the original layout of the building. In addition, sometimes reconstruction involves adding a new façade to the house. Then the old ones can become internal.

Many sites offer redevelopments in houses of one series or another. At the same time, the “creators” of such architectural projects do not always take into account what will be demolished inside the house. Of course, partial destruction of the carrier does not always lead to disastrous consequences. Sometimes 5–10 years pass from the moment of dismantling, after which the floor above begins to become covered with “patterns” of cracks. It all depends on the age of the building and its condition.

In any case, the most simple option How to determine which wall is load-bearing is to contact a professional construction company. One way or another, there are a number of definitions of load-bearing walls for houses of one type or another. Let's look at them below.

We are looking for a load-bearing structure in a panel house

The most common residential buildings are panel type houses. Depending on the series of the house, the location of the load-bearing structures is different. In any case, there are significantly more of them than partitions. One of the most important determinations is thickness measurement. So, remember that its main significance is for partitions in panel houses is 80–100 mm, but the load-bearing ones can be 120, 140, 160, 180 and 200. When measuring the thickness, it is worth taking into account and. It must either be removed where the wall was measured, or subtracted from the result obtained.

In 80% of cases, septa panel houses, and their thickness is 80 mm. Thus, we attribute everything that is thinner than 120 to partitions, but if the measurements are higher than the indicated figure, then the walls are load-bearing. Of course, it may happen that the figure turns out to be 120 mm. Then you should use the services of engineers who developed the layout of the house. One way or another, even if you yourself determine that this wall can be dismantled, you will need a technical opinion from engineers. Only on its basis are any redevelopments allowed.

Looking for a carrier in a brick house

Now let's talk about old brick buildings. have different thicknesses depending on the number of bricks in the masonry. The length of a standard brick is 120 mm. Seams between brickwork have an indicator of 10 mm. Thus, if it consists of two rows of bricks, then the value will be calculated as follows: 120 + 120 + 10 = 250 mm. According to further calculations, it can be in size: 380 mm (three rows of 120 and two seams of 10), 510 mm (four rows of 120 and three seams of 10), 640 mm (five rows of 120 and four seams of 10).

Now we explain the load-bearing wall in a brick house. And everything is extremely simple: again, by measuring. The walls in such houses separating the apartments are partitions and have a thickness of 250 mm (double masonry). The usual partitions between rooms are either 80 or 120. The remaining walls are load-bearing - they can be 380, 510, 640 and higher.

By the way, there are old houses with wooden floors. Bearers can even be wooden partitions. Initially they did not perform such a function, but later became a support for the floors above.

We are looking for a load-bearing structure in a monolithic house

Monolithic houses have a huge variety of layouts. Here you can only be sure that there is a partition in front of you. Therefore, if possible, you will need to find a house project, and also be sure to consult with an engineer from the developer.

Although you can again resort to the method of determining load-bearing walls by measuring the thickness. The value can be 200, 250, 300 and higher. Having measured it, do not rush to make hasty conclusions. So, if its thickness is less than 200 mm, then this means by 99% that you have measured the partition. But if this figure, for example, is 200 mm, then this does not always confirm the opposite. The fact is that monolithic houses involve the use of foam blocks, which are a special type of partition.

Conclusion

Living area. In this case, the question arises: how to determine a load-bearing wall that cannot be touched? And in order not to be mistaken, we suggest you consider several ways to find out. This article will also be of interest to those who plan to perform renovation work, namely, to lay communications using a hidden method.

A load-bearing wall means a structure on which the floor of the next floor rests. Also, such walls can be replaced with columns or beams that support the entire structure.

If during the repair process the load-bearing wall is incorrectly identified, then if it is damaged, cracks may appear in the building; in the worst case, the ceiling may collapse.

There are several ways to determine whether there is a load-bearing wall in front of you or not. For example, by location. All external walls are always load-bearing, as well as those located on the side staircase. These could be walls that border your neighbors. In addition, you can determine by its thickness and what it is made of. If brick is used, then the supporting structure in this case will be more than 380 mm. Concerning reinforced concrete structure, then this is 140–200 mm, and in the case of monolithic walls the load-bearing wall will be 200–300 mm or more. You can also find the supporting structure by the location of the floor slabs. All walls that are perpendicular to the slabs are load-bearing. Although there are houses where there are exceptions to the rules, for example, Czech buildings.

These are the basic provisions that will help you determine which walls are load-bearing and which are not. Now let's take a closer look at where and what kind of walls are in a panel house, Khrushchev, brick and in monolithic house.

Partitions in a panel house usually have a thickness of 80–100 mm. It can be made of gypsum concrete. As for the load-bearing wall, it can be 140, 180, 200 mm thick. If, after measuring the wall, its thickness is less than 120 mm, then it is definitely a partition. But note the fact that in some panel houses the walls are plastered. So be sure to take this into account when measuring. Although in most cases the layer of plaster does not exceed 50 mm, which means it will not have a significant impact. But it is best to take the wall thickness as a basis at the point of measurement.

The thickness of the walls in brick buildings is formed during laying. For example, standard brick has a width of 120 mm. If the masonry is done in two rows, then there is a seam of about 10 mm between them. Accordingly, the thickness of such a wall will be 250 mm. If the wall is laid out in three rows, then its thickness will be 380 mm and so on.

The simplest method for determining a load-bearing wall is measurement. Walls of 80, 120 or 250 mm are partitions. Accordingly, a wall thickness of 380, 520 mm or more is always load-bearing. Also be sure to take into account the layer of plaster and other finishing materials when measuring.

In some brick houses can be wooden floors. Therefore, load-bearing walls may be of less importance.

Load-bearing walls in such buildings represent a diagram of their three load-bearing walls ( green color) and transverse ( Blue colour) walls, in the diagram they look like this:

In this case, the partitions marked in blue are also load-bearing for the flight of stairs.

As you can see, in this case the standards apply. Structural diagram in Khrushchev or Stalin buildings does not change, although the layout of the apartment may differ.

As for monolithic buildings, the layout in them can be very different. The thickness of the walls here can also be different, it can be 200, 250, 300 mm or more. If the wall you measured is 200mm thick, then most likely it is a partition. If it is more than 200 mm, then this is not a guarantee that there is a load-bearing wall in front of you. The best way to determine it is to find design documentation or consult with an engineer from the developer’s company. In monolithic houses, foam blocks of different thicknesses are used for partitions, this explains it all.

So, when remodeling an apartment, questions may arise regarding whether it is possible to remove load-bearing walls. It should be said right away that its complete dismantling is unacceptable, as this can lead to the destruction of the structure. If you do such a redevelopment without permission, then you will have to spend a large amount, plus there is a risk of receiving fines. This rule also applies to moving a load-bearing wall.

If complete demolition or relocation is out of the question, and you want to make an opening, then such work is possible. However, each case should be considered individually and it is best to contact design organization. If you want to carry out certain communications using a hidden method in such a wall, then making horizontal or vertical grooves is prohibited, according to the resolution of the Moscow Government. However, drilling is possible. Especially when we're talking about about installing fasteners such as dowels or holding sewer pipes, ventilation or water pipes through the walls.

As you can see, there are a number of restrictions that apply to load-bearing walls. We hope that from this article you received the answer to the question of how to find out the location of load-bearing walls.

Video

Scheme

A load-bearing wall is a wall on which elements located on the upper floors of an apartment building rest. It takes on the load of beams, slabs, ordinary partitions and balconies, maintaining the integrity of the entire structure from the roof to the foundation.
If the redevelopment is carried out incorrectly, or the load-bearing wall is demolished or damaged, this will be fraught with big problems - from cracks in the structure to its collapse.
AiF.ru tells how to determine that a wall is load-bearing.
There are several ways to find out specifications walls:

How to carry out a safe redevelopment?

Only professionals can carry out safe redevelopment of an apartment or house. Regardless of the scale of the reconstruction, it is necessary to invite specialists from the BTI and the Moscow Housing Inspectorate, who, after engineering survey They will give you an official permit for redevelopment, indicating all the walls that can or cannot be demolished.

What punishment awaits a person for unauthorized redevelopment?

Any changes made to the housing layout relative to the original BTI plan must be agreed upon with the Moscow Housing Inspectorate. This is required by the housing legislation of the Russian Federation and Moscow.
In the absence of permits, redevelopment is considered unauthorized, and therefore illegal. In this case, according to Art. 7.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, you will face a fine for illegal redevelopment in the amount of 2 to 2.5 thousand rubles. For legal entities it is much larger - from 350 thousand to 1 million rubles.
In addition to a fine, for illegal redevelopment of an apartment, the violator is issued an order, according to which the violator will be obliged to either legalize the redevelopment, or return the apartment to its original condition.
Wall thickness must be measured in " pure form", that is, do not take into account the thickness of the pasted wallpaper and plaster. Sometimes, in order to take a measurement, it is necessary to drill a through hole in the wall.

When deciding to remodel a room, there are restrictions on the production of some construction work with loaded structures to avoid causing irreparable damage to the structure. A load-bearing or load-bearing element is a structural element of a building that receives and transmits pressure from floors located above or below. The integrity of the load-bearing element is critical to the entire facility. Work is carried out with the permission of the supervisory authorities and subject to the approval of the project.

Reconstruction, as defined by the housing code, is possible only if there is an approved construction project.

What is a load-bearing wall in a room: purpose

Such a wall is understood as a vertical element of a structure that provides protection internal space from climatic conditions, provides thermal insulation, sound insulation, transfers the pressure of the overlying floors to the foundation.

How to determine it yourself

If there is construction documentation, then, if you know how to read it, there are no difficulties; partitions are highlighted in the design documentation. The information is also available in the technical passport available to the owners of privatized premises; if you have construction knowledge, this is enough.

In the absence of design documentation, it is still possible to determine whether the wall is loaded, guided by the following tips:

These are usually considered to be external or external structures.
Separating adjacent apartments should also be considered under pressure.
Parts of the room on which the ends of the floor slabs lie are considered loaded.
Separating partitions common to the apartment and the stairwell.

It is necessary to highlight points in the presence of which it is easy to understand whether part of the building is under pressure for multi-storey buildings with different architectural solutions.

Which walls in panel houses are load-bearing?

A series of standard panel houses were built according to standards for the whole country standard projects. The technical passport, held by the owner, provides information regarding the series of the house. Knowledge of the building series and the Internet will make it easy to find diagrams on the websites of the customer or developer. The dimensions of all parts of this series of multi-apartment residential properties are indicated here. To understand which partitions (besides their own weight) bear the weight of other components of the structure, this information is enough.

If there are no design documentation, as well as information on the Internet, one can take it as an axiom that walls with a thickness of one hundred and twenty millimeters are loaded. The thickness should be measured without plaster or layers of finishing. If part of the premises of an apartment building is damaged or demolished multi-story building, possible destruction of the structure. Redevelopment in an apartment panel building is not permitted without the permission of the city architect and municipal authorities.

Determine in a brick house

In a brick room, all external walls take the weight of the upper floors, as well as partitions between adjacent apartments and dividing an apartment with a flight of stairs.

Walls more than or equal to thirty-eight centimeters thick support the floors in a brick apartment building.

External walls brick house are needed for the construction of floors; they experience the load of the floors of the building located above.

In “Khrushchev” and “Stalin” buildings, the longitudinal walls are intended for mounting floor slabs on them, the transverse ones are partitions.

How to understand where the load-bearing wall is in a monolithic house

The most difficult thing to understand is whether part of the house is under load, in buildings made of monolithic concrete. Various architectural solutions are used here, and even external structures made of monolithic concrete do not always perform loaded functions. In such structures, there may be columns and pylons under load.

To avoid mistakes, in monolithic concrete houses a wall thicker than or equal to two hundred millimeters should be considered under load.

To avoid mistakes, before redevelopment in a monolithic building, you must familiarize yourself with the design documentation. Project documentation can be requested from the management company.

In frame structures with a structure made of metal structures, the weight of the overlying floors is perceived and transmitted by metal structures, and the walls made of blocks can be thicker than two hundred millimeters.

How to distinguish partition walls from load-bearing ones in your apartment: tips

In brick houses, partitions from three hundred and eighty millimeters thick are considered elements that determine the integrity of the object.
In buildings made of panels, where the walls are one hundred and forty millimeters or more thick, they are loaded elements.
In rooms made of monolithic concrete, two hundred or more millimeters of thickness means the structure is recognized as accepting pressure.
If the ends of the floor slabs lie on the wall, it is classified as a load-bearing structure.
The partition between adjacent apartments belongs to the loaded part.
Common to the staircase and apartment, it also transmits pressure from above.

To begin changing the layout of the apartment, you need to determine which structural parts of the room will undergo deformation or transfer. Then, with the help of specialists, decide whether structures important for the safety of the structure will be affected.

This is most relevant in houses assembled from panels, where the breakdown of one part of the house can lead to irreversible, sometimes tragic, consequences. Prior to the start of reconstruction, preliminary coordination with municipal authorities and architecture departments is required. It should be understood that unauthorized changes in the layout of a multi-storey residential building will lead to consequences in the form of:

refusal to register changes;
the impossibility of subsequently completing any transaction with an apartment that has undergone redevelopment, even if the elements of a multi-storey building critical to the integrity are not affected.

In any case, the redevelopment will have to be registered with the relevant authorities. During the reconstruction process, it may be necessary to transfer communications, so it is better to immediately contact specialists before carrying out construction and installation work. Unauthorized redevelopment with the removal of the structure that transmits the load from top to bottom will be impossible or very difficult.

Useful video

If you are planning to carry out a redevelopment, you should definitely find out which walls are load-bearing. Many owners of small-sized Khrushchev apartments are trying to turn them into spacious studios with the help of redevelopment. However, it is not at all easy to change a doorway or wall in a high-rise building, where almost every wall can turn out to be load-bearing, without threatening the safety of the remaining residents.

If the redevelopment is carried out incorrectly and the load-bearing wall is demolished, this is fraught with big problems from cracks in the structure and even collapse of the ceilings. Correct, competent and safe redevelopment can only be carried out by professionals - engineers and builders. Therefore, the first thing that is done before planning is to invite specialists from the BTI, who must give you permission for redevelopment, which will already mark all the walls that can be changed or demolished. And only after this can you discuss the intricacies of redevelopment with builders and architects.

There is another reason why redevelopment should be carried out in accordance with the rules: apartments with illegal redevelopment cannot be sold, and if such a need suddenly arises, it is quite difficult and problematic to legalize a ready-made redevelopment. But if you are interested in knowing how to determine load-bearing walls yourself, we will tell you a few simple ways.

What is a load-bearing wall?

What is a load-bearing wall? A load-bearing wall is a wall on which the structural elements of subsequent floors rest. Most often, redevelopment is associated with demolition interior partitions. But not everyone knows which walls can be touched and which ones cannot. Reckless demolition of structures leads to changes in pressure on the remaining surfaces and rooms located below. In addition, those left without support ceilings may not withstand the load and collapse at any moment. In some cases, load-bearing walls can be replaced with beams and columns that perform the same function - supporting the integrity of the entire structure.

What is needed to demolish a wall?

Before starting work on demolishing a particular wall and moving it, you need to consult a qualified specialist. In addition, a full calculation will be required, taking into account the distribution of loads that must be transferred from the old structures to the new ones. You may have to change the electrical layout along with the remodeling. Keep in mind that uncoordinated demolition of the walls of the premises can become an obstacle to the sale of the apartment and registration of the deed of gift, but also entail penalties, which is why it is so important to coordinate the redevelopment project. To do this, you will need a plan developed by the BTI service specifically for this type of redevelopment, drawing up a technical report for the demolition of the wall and obtaining a positive conclusion from the housing inspection at the place of registration.

What is redevelopment?

According to the Housing Code, redevelopment means changes in the configuration of the apartment, which require their inclusion in technical certificate. Redevelopment includes, for example, changing the location of load-bearing walls and partitions, moving window and door openings, refurbishment of storage rooms, arrangement of internal staircases, refurbishment of bathrooms, division of large rooms, expansion of living space at the expense of utility rooms, glazing of a balcony or loggia, replacement gas stoves to electric ones, moving a bathroom, kitchen or toilet. You may not know, but all these types of changes in the apartment relate to redevelopment and require approval from the relevant authorities.

What is the difference between a load-bearing wall?

The purpose of the wall can be determined independently by its thickness or the material from which it is built. In panel-type houses indoor units(or partitions) have a thickness of 80 to 120 mm, and the load-bearing wall has a thickness of at least 140 mm. Most often, in such houses, the external walls are made with a thickness of 200 mm. In houses made of bricks, the exterior bearing structures have a thickness of 380 mm or more, inter-apartment - 250 mm, and partitions - 120 or 80 mm. To accurately determine the load-bearing wall, it is best to use BTI data - a detailed floor plan. There, all main walls are marked with thicker lines, and partitions that do not have such functions are marked with thinner lines.

Methods for determining load-bearing walls

The easiest and most accurate way is to find a structural plan of the house, which should be kept in the capital construction department of the local executive committee. If you are able to read construction drawings, the technical passport of the apartment, which every owner should have, will tell you about the location of the load-bearing walls.

Another method involves determining load-bearing walls by wall thickness as we described above. True, there is a nuance in the case of panel houses, since most of the walls in such houses are load-bearing. There is also a nuance - the thickness of load-bearing walls in panel houses can be 12 cm, which depends on the series of the house. The thickness of the wall is measured without taking into account plaster and wallpaper, so it is better to take measurements after all walls have been cleaned of old decoration. So what should we do? Only a qualified engineer will give you the final answer. Since it exists now huge variety design solutions, then in such houses it can be very difficult to determine the load-bearing wall simply by its thickness. For example, in a monolithic frame house there may be no load-bearing walls at all. So only an architectural plan and a specialist’s opinion can clarify this issue.

Another way is by location. External walls make up the so-called building box and are always load-bearing. Load-bearing walls also include walls that face the flight of stairs and interior walls that face the neighboring apartment.

Look for structural clues

Start from the lowest point in your home. To determine which walls in your house are load-bearing, it is best to start from the place that bears the main load, starting from the foundation. If your home has a basement, start here. If not, try starting from the ground floor, where you can determine the location of the lowest concrete slab’. Pay attention to the walls, the system of beams of which rests directly on the foundation. Any walls that are located directly on the foundation must be considered load-bearing and demolishing them is strictly prohibited.

View the interior walls of the entire structure. Starting with a basement (or, if you don't have one, the first floor), determine the location of the interior walls. Trace each interior wall through every floor of your home - in other words, pinpoint where the wall is in relation to the floor below, then work your way up to see if the wall extends through subsequent floors. If there is another wall, a floor with perpendicular beams, or other heavy structure above this wall, then it is likely a load-bearing wall.

Look for steel beams or pile-and-beam structures. Sometimes builders use special load-bearing structures, such as steel support beams and pile-and-beam structures, to transfer some of the building's weight to the external walls. In these cases, there is a chance (but not a guarantee) that the nearest internal walls will not be load-bearing. Look for signs of large, sturdy wooden or metal structures that cross the ceiling of a room and extend onto a wall that is known to be load-bearing or external, such as three-dimensional horizontal projections that cross the ceiling.

Look for signs that the house has been remodeled. Many houses, especially old ones, have been changed, expanded and rebuilt several times. If this applies to your home, what was once an exterior wall may now be an interior wall. If so, then innocent looking interior wall may turn out to be a load-bearing structure for the original structure. If you have any reason to believe that your home has been seriously altered, best choice will turn to professionals to be sure that your external walls really external walls.

Explore the history of the building

Turn yourself into a historian for a while and carefully examine your home. Find the original building plans if you can access them. Depending on the structure of your home, it may be impossible to accurately guess which walls are load-bearing and which are not. In this case, the original drawings or construction plans can be a source of valuable information. House drawings can tell you where support beams are located, which walls were originally external, etc. The original drawings can be found at the office of the relevant official structures (for example, BTI), from the former owners, from the original builder and/or. Ultimately, you can pay an architect to draw the plans for your home, although this can be expensive.

Contact the experts

Contact the original builders of the building if you can. The person (or organization) who built your home may have an idea of the exact structure of the building. If the structure was recently built, they may not even charge you for a short phone call or consultation. Even if they do, remember that a relatively small fee is nothing compared to the catastrophic destruction of the structure that can result from the demolition of a load-bearing wall.

If in any doubt, call a building inspector. If you can't figure out which walls are load-bearing, you can hire a professional building inspector. Paying a building inspector for an hour is definitely worth it if you want a safe remodel.

Hire a Remodeling Consultant

Some independent companies offer their services to building owners. Such companies may have foremen and other experienced specialists in home reconstruction on their staff. When it comes to changing a wall that you're not sure is load-bearing, these companies will be able to tell you what changes are possible, what changes are dangerous, and even definitively answer your question as to whether the wall is load-bearing or not. If you are interested in this solution, do some online research on companies in your area to ensure you choose a trustworthy, reliable company.

So, when you have managed to determine the load-bearing walls in the apartment, remember: you cannot remove the load-bearing wall completely, leaving the upper floors without support. You can remove only a small part of it, and place metal supporting structures in the resulting opening, which can then be easily hidden under false beams. Or when removing an entire wall, you need to provide strong support with studs or columns. Only specialists can determine the thickness and location of the supports.

Remember that it is very important not to neglect the opinion of professionals during redevelopment and not to engage in amateur activities, which can be fraught with consequences not only for your apartment, but also for your neighbors. As stated above, removing a load-bearing wall can cause structural weakening and even potentially life-threatening structural failure of the structure. Remember that all renovations are only half complete, so removing a non-load-bearing wall may affect the ability to alter the home in the future.