Is this a load bearing wall?

[WhiskyInTheJar]

Hi everyone. I hope this is the right place to post this.

I’m wondering if someone can help clear up a bit of confusion. We're considering buying this 1960s bungalow, but it's got a strange quirk going on with internal windows caused by a corridor running along the back of the house (see diagram).

I'm trying to work out whether the red or yellow highlighted wall is holding the roof up (or a combination of both?). Our initial intention was to take down the internal wall/windows and extend the walls on either side to meet the outer (red highlighted) wall. That would make a little more bedroom space and lose the strange corridor feature.

However, we've got the title plan, and it's got a dotted line where the red highlighted wall on the diagram is now, indicating that this might have only been an overhang/lean-to structure, which calls into question its strength to support the roof - I think? But, I see there's a large wooden fascia above the windows on the rear wall, so could that be covering an RSJ that's providing enough support to hold the roof up without the internal wall doing anything?

I think it's worth noting that without the rear corridor, the roof would either end strangely high or be pitched irregularly and very steep at the rear of the house, so surely the outer wall is taking the weight? 

Can anyone advise based on what I've provided whether or not the outer or internal wall is likely to be load bearing?

Grateful for any advice!!! You might be able to tell that I know very little! Thanks in advance!

[ProDave]

That has had a wrap around single storey extension.  So the Yellow wall is the original back wall and is holding up the original pitched tiled roof and the red wall is holding up the flat roof to the extension.

 

You could take out the yellow wall, but not before organising some form of lintel to bridge the gap where you are removing the wall to keep the original roof up.

[WhiskyInTheJar]

38 minutes ago, ProDave said:

That has had a wrap around single storey extension.  So the Yellow wall is the original back wall and is holding up the original pitched tiled roof and the red wall is holding up the flat roof to the extension.

 

You could take out the yellow wall, but not before organising some form of lintel to bridge the gap where you are removing the wall to keep the original roof up.

 

Thanks for the reply. I’d completely agree except for the fact the red wall is where the pitched roof comes down, not the yellow. It’s not a flat roof out to the edge of the red roof (unlike the extension to the left and right which clearly have a flat roof). This is why it’s so confusing. There’s also a slight discolouration of the pitched roof when it reaches the yellow wall and stretches down to the red, so I’m not too sure what’s going on there.

 

I feel fairly confident that we’ll be able to do what we want to do, but think a surveyor will need to take a good look and tell us what the damage will be. We’re complete novices to this though so have no idea what to expect.

 

Any further thoughts are greatly appreciated but thanks again for your response so far. 

[ProDave]

More pictures needed of that rear elevation from a side view or partial side view.

 

Can you grab a satellite image of it and post that suitably anonamised?

[DevilDamo]

Why not poke your head through the loft hatch?

[saveasteading]

Anything that is 'not quite right' can be surprisingly expensive to adapt or to remedy.

It is often easier and cheaper to remove an extension and start again, than to adapt an adaptation. 

the disruption in removing the yellow wall would be significant.

[Bonner]

…or knock it down and start again. It will be even more daunting but probably the best for the long term. See if you can find a trusted local builder and talk options, ask what would you do?

[WhiskyInTheJar]

10 hours ago, DevilDamo said:

Why not poke your head through the loft hatch?

I would if I could - I think I'll have to arrange another viewing, because with all the best will in the world, I think people's suggestions here can only be best-guess work based on experience. Nothing beats eyes-on, I suppose!

[WhiskyInTheJar]

11 hours ago, ProDave said:

More pictures needed of that rear elevation from a side view or partial side view.

 

Can you grab a satellite image of it and post that suitably anonamised?

Here's one, and I think the most useful part of it is actually the shadow, indicating that the roof is on a regular pitch throughout - but the bit on the north side definitely has a different appearance. Any ideas why? It doesn't look like it's just material to me, but maybe it is?

[ProDave]

I think it is time for a look in the roof space as already suggested.

 

To my untrained eye I would say it has front and rear add on extensions with the existing sloped roof added on and continued down.  So I still think the yellow wall in your sketch is the original wall where the roof finished before it was extended.

 

You should be able to sell by the thickness of that wall inside the house.  I bet it is a thick double skin wall showing it was once the outside wall.

[Mr Punter]

The layout is really compromised as can be the case with bungalows.  The extensions have not improved matters.  If the current setup does not give you enough space I would look elsewhere as you would have to go to considerable expense to make your required silk purse.

[WhiskyInTheJar]

On 09/12/2025 at 10:30, ProDave said:

To my untrained eye I would say it has front and rear add on extensions with the existing sloped roof added on and continued down.  So I still think the yellow wall in your sketch is the original wall where the roof finished before it was extended.

 

That was my initial thought, but for that to be true, I think it would mean the entire roof must have been replaced at some point since the pitch is regular on both front and back. Which I guess means its truly impossible to say without looking in the loft where the weight is likely to be borne?

 

On 09/12/2025 at 10:56, Mr Punter said:

The layout is really compromised as can be the case with bungalows.  The extensions have not improved matters.  If the current setup does not give you enough space I would look elsewhere as you would have to go to considerable expense to make your required silk purse.

What do you mean by "really compromised"? Assuming the weight is borne on the red wall, it wouldn't be too costly to address. If it's borne on the yellow, we can either make it good somehow (perhaps), or just take down the red wall and keep the bedroom as it, I think? Or are you seeing something that I'm missing?

Edited 8 hours ago by WhiskyInTheJar

[ProDave]

44 minutes ago, WhiskyInTheJar said:

That was my initial thought, but for that to be true, I think it would mean the entire roof must have been replaced at some point since the pitch is regular on both front and back. Which I guess means its truly impossible to say without looking in the loft where the weight is likely to be borne?

 

What do you mean by "really compromised"? Assuming the weight is borne on the red wall, it wouldn't be too costly to address. If it's borne on the yellow, we can either make it good somehow (perhaps), or just take down the red wall and keep the bedroom as it, I think? Or are you seeing something that I'm missing?

Ask the agent you want to see in the loft.  go armed with a step ladder and a camera and post the pictures of the findings.

[torre]

My non-expert impression, it's likely that pitched roof was extended such that you'll have the original joists spanning to and supported on the yellow and the extension joists spanning yellow to red and supported by both, rather than any being full span, so both will be load bearing. (The lack of moss/lichen on that part of the roof suggests the tiles are newer/different)

 

Exploring the loft is a good suggestion. Is there any planning permission record online for the property? That might give a better idea of the changes.

 

Someone's already spent a fair bit of money on a not very practical extension, so be wary of making the same mistake. If it ends up looking expensive to remove the yellow wall, I'd start looking at what you might do long term - if for example you may want to build out across the whole rear of the property, maybe think about that now as you'll end up reworking things and paying for structural changes again.

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, torre said:

If it ends up looking expensive to remove the yellow wall,

Let's have a guess that it needs a steel beam on 2 new steel posts on new concrete foundations, then lots of making good.

 

£10k?? Structural Engineer, Building regulations, mess and disruption (living elsewhere?)