Kitchen-Living Open Plan

[JGarcia]

Hi all, 

 

I bought a new 3 story house 3 years ago and I am considering to remove a wall between the kitchen and living room in the ground floor, also I am gonna keep the other two walls protecting the staircase following the fire regulation. Each wall kept has a FD30 door.

 

I did a quick check around the house and the wall that I want to knock down it’s a 22 mm plasterboard and behind it, there is a plywood board (I don’t know why). It looks like it isn’t t load-bearing wall. See the mark in red in the attached images. 

 

I checked the ceiling and all I-joists are wall-to-wall with a span of 5.3 Mts (approx.),  and all of them are parallel to the wall in question. Also, there is a steel beam across the ceiling wall-to-wall and just 1.8 mts away from the wall. The steel beam is parallel to the wall needed and the all ceiling I-joist. See mark in green in the attached image to see the steel beam.

 

I am not really sure if I need an architect or engineer, what do you think ?

 

is it required to apply for planning permission or follow any building regulation ?

 

If I need planning permission, what probably do I have to get it accepted?

 

Any advice much be appreciated.

 

thanks in advance.

 

 

[markc]

You need an engineer, bay window one end and French doors the other end, good chance the plywood is for wind bracing and can’t just be removed.

[JGarcia]

Thanks mate. Maybe that’s the reason why. I think the ceiling is self supported in the I-joist and steel beam, I did not understand why that wall was like that. 

[JGarcia]

Just now, JGarcia said:

Thanks mate. Maybe that’s the reason why. I think the ceiling is self supported in the I-joist and steel beam, I did not understand why that wall was like that. 

 

[DevilDamo]

Timber stud walls can be load bearing and even more-so if they’ve been double tacked (which it sounds like yours is). You’d be better off consulting a structural engineer. You may also need permission from the developer.

[JGarcia]

9 hours ago, DevilDamo said:

Timber stud walls can be load bearing and even more-so if they’ve been double tacked (which it sounds like yours is). You’d be better off consulting a structural engineer. You may also need permission from the developer.

Thanks, I will ask an engineer for sure now. 

[ProDave]

My question is, is the house detached or joined to another.

 

Like others the double tacked and plywood braced construction does sound like it is for racking strength.  Is the house masonry or timber framed?

[JGarcia]

12 minutes ago, ProDave said:

My question is, is the house detached or joined to another.

 

Like others the double tacked and plywood braced construction does sound like it is for racking strength.  Is the house masonry or timber framed?

The house is detached, outside it has brick, inside looks like timber framed. I asked the builder to get more info, like plans or something similar and they said they can not provide anything because they got the copyright.

[ProDave]

Yes get a structural engineer.  

 

A compromise might be not remove the whole wall but make an opening double door size and have say two glass doors?  But an SE should advise what is possible and what needs to be done to make it possible.

[JGarcia]

33 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Yes get a structural engineer.  

 

A compromise might be not remove the whole wall but make an opening double door size and have say two glass doors?  But an SE should advise what is possible and what needs to be done to make it possible.

Thanks, I will do.