Before starting a major renovation, which involves making changes to the layout of the apartment, it is necessary to identify load-bearing walls. According to the law such building construction It is prohibited to dismantle, as it reduces 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 bodies monitoring compliance with the existing building codes and rules.

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

Khrushchev and panel houses have load-bearing walls and thin interior partitions. Dismantling to combine premises is only possible bearing structures, work with which will not lead to hazardous conditions 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 the building’s building structures located above it. 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 panel house, as in any other case, it is easiest to determine the purpose of 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.

By 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, which 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 this has been determined can you begin to plan a major overhaul, choosing the appropriate methods, means and solutions for rebuilding 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 ditching 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 redevelopment approvals are carried out.

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. Creating a hole in a non-load-bearing wall requires almost no effort; the drill goes 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 the housing inspectorate considers 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.

At first glance, it is quite difficult to determine the load-bearing wall in a house. If desired, make adjustments to the layout and design decoration apartment, the owners want to demolish several walls.

The main thing is that the wall does not turn out to be load-bearing. Removing intermediate partitions does not have the same effect on the destruction of the building structure. A load-bearing wall is a support element for the entire structure of the building, which carries the load of the upper floors and distributes it to the lower ones. At the initial stage of redevelopment, it is important to determine which walls can be removed and which need to be preserved.

Before initial stage construction you need to know how to determine a load-bearing wall in an apartment? Global redevelopment of multi-storey buildings entails a lot of consequences and difficulties in design, especially if you carry out all the stages yourself. Redevelopment technology is more complex, requires detailed knowledge and limits the implementation of your own ideas. In panel, monolithic and multi-storey buildings, redevelopment is more difficult to carry out, since it is necessary to obtain permission and coordinate the construction with the BTI authorities.

Correctly determining which wall is load-bearing can only be professional craftsmen. The builders of the InnovaStroy company, together with the BTI authorities, carry out the redevelopment of apartments and private houses of any complexity. The company's specialists will make calculations, design and develop a detailed plan for future development. An inspection and determination of the possibility of realizing the client’s wishes are carried out already on the first visit to the site. If nuances arise and there is a need for urgent paperwork, the developers of the InnovaStroy company are also ready to provide support to the client. It is necessary to determine which wall is load-bearing in the apartment at the first stage of registering the property. Redeveloped properties are more difficult to sell. And if there is delay in completing the documents, fines and obligations are imposed on the owner.

There are several ways to determine the load-bearing wall in a house:

1. We determine the load-bearing wall according to the structural plan of the house.

If the document is not on hand, it can be found in the authorities:

• City Capital Construction Department;
• Executive committee.

Knowledge of construction drawings will help the owner deal with load-bearing walls and technical passport.

You can determine a load-bearing wall in a house by its characteristics:

• Thickness - the parameter is measured without plaster and internal finishing materials. Masters completely clean the walls before taking measurements or know the exact parameters.

In a house with brick partitions and base, all walls thicker than 38 cm are considered load-bearing. Builders determine the thickness by counting the bricks laid out in a row.

How to determine a load-bearing wall in a brick house?

Brick size – 12 cm;

• 250 mm walls: 2 bricks + joint (10 mm);
• 350 mm walls: 3 bricks + 2 seams;
• 510 mm walls: 4 bricks + 3 seams;
• 640 mm walls: 5 bricks + 4 seams;

Interior partitions built from blocks or bricks are only 12-18 mm. The walls between neighboring apartments are not much thicker - 25 mm.

In a monolithic type building, determining the load-bearing wall in a house is somewhat more difficult, since different values ​​are used during construction.
Walls exceeding a thickness of 20 cm are load-bearing. However, the architectural plan of the project will help you understand more precisely, since the nuances modern construction may include various options deviations from standard sizes.

Owners of city apartments often have a question: how to determine the load-bearing wall in a panel house? Only an experienced architectural engineer can answer the question. In a panel-type house, all walls thicker than 12-14 cm are considered load-bearing. Carrying out redevelopment in a panel-type apartment is often much more difficult. The partitions are usually up to 10 cm.

2.Location relative to others;

All external walls are always load-bearing. Besides external walls the buildings make up its box and border on the front side of the building. The main walls of the apartment are those facing the staircase or neighboring dwellings.

3.According to the design of the beam overlap

All load-bearing walls are clearly perpendicular to the main structure of the support slabs. The top slabs rest on the walls with their shortened side.

What do openings in load-bearing walls indicate?

Once load-bearing walls have been identified, the owner is solely responsible for damage, deformation or pressure on the elements. Creating openings and arches in a load-bearing wall entails a lot of negative impacts on the frame of the building and negatively affects the entire structure. The occurrence of cracks, shrinkage of the house, and destruction of facade elements begins from the impact on the load-bearing wall. Depending on the duration of the building’s existence, the impact on the load-bearing wall can be completely destructive. This especially applies to multi-storey buildings old type: Khrushchev, Stalin, etc.

It is strictly prohibited for the BTI authorities to carry out complete demolition of the load-bearing space. If the redevelopment is caused by the need to replace the supporting structure, it is necessary to design the space using reliable support columns. The cross-section, dimensions and thickness of the columns are calculated by specialists from authorized bodies. The columns must support and systematically distribute the weight of all rising floors.

Typical designs of panel buildings

Before defining a load-bearing wall in a panel house , We recommend that you read standard projects panel buildings, which vary in code. First, you need to determine the series of the structure, and then familiarize yourself with the detailed version of the drawing and its features. The layout of apartments and a detailed plan of supporting structures in the drawings are highlighted using color.

Panel house project code:

• 90-05;
• 90-06;
• 90-07;
• 90-022;
• 90-023;
• 90-031;
• 90-045;

The description of each project code includes the presence of designations of the main load-bearing walls and partitions. How to determine a load-bearing wall on a plan? It is necessary to examine the drawing of the apartment in detail and indicate the thickness of the walls. On paper, load-bearing walls are indicated by denser, solid lines.

Opening or niche in a load-bearing wall?

After determining the load-bearing wall in an apartment, many ask the question of creating an opening or an additional niche in the load-bearing wall. Creating a built-in opening in many apartments in panel houses is acceptable. Compliance with the requirements of regulatory authorities is strictly mandatory. It is allowed to perform horizontal and vertical grooves on the walls of the load-bearing structure. Drilling into walls and installing internal dowels is also allowed. Individual design of a house or apartment must be entrusted to professionals who bear full responsibility for dismantling and forming load-bearing surfaces.

Ideas for designing openings in a load-bearing wall

It is prohibited to completely dismantle a load-bearing wall. However, when creating openings, there are options for decorative filling of load-bearing structures. One of the stylish proposals of designers is the formation of an aquarium system on part or the entire wall.

Options for placing aquariums between load-bearing columns:

• The aquarium in the space between the column and the additional interior partition looks stylish and decorates the apartment attractively.
• The addition of furniture with an emphasis on the aquarium system fits harmoniously into the design.
• When expanding an apartment due to the space of a balcony or loggia, window sill systems in the form of aquarium stands are often used. The built-in aquarium looks amazing and captivates the eye with a living picture.
• Built-in aqua systems in niches of load-bearing walls look great in bedrooms and living rooms.

Knowing all the rules, it is easy to determine which wall is load-bearing and planning further design will be easier with the involvement of craftsmen. The InnovaStroy company carries out turnkey repair work of any level of complexity in apartments, houses and offices. Planning and redevelopment of buildings does not cause difficulties for craftsmen. In addition, clients are offered innovative developments and improved comfort of living in an apartment. The company’s specialists make the client’s stay comfortable, and the list repair work does not cause difficulties. When the question arises of how to determine whether a load-bearing wall is or not, it is necessary to determine the type of structure and know its features.

How to determine whether a load-bearing wall is in a Khrushchev building?

• It must be remembered that all the walls of the building box are load-bearing;
• Walls facing staircases, marching openings are also the main ones;
• The partition between the balcony, loggia and kitchen (room) carries a small supporting load, so it can be easily dismantled. However, before carrying out demolition of the wall, it is necessary to ensure that the entire space is properly insulated so that the cold flow does not cause damage to other walls of the room.
• You can easily dismantle the interior opening in the bathroom. The thickness of the wall can be 10-12 cm, but does not serve any main purposes.
• Panel houses most unfavorable for demolishing walls.
• Before starting to dismantle any walls, it is important to understand that a supporting structure is required.

To answer the question of how to determine a load-bearing wall in an apartment and how many main walls can be located in a building, we recommend contacting the professional consultants of the InnovaStroy company. How to determine a load-bearing wall in a brick house? Using the above methods it will be easier. Note that the main indicators of a brick structure are easily replaced by support beams, metal or stone. When forming decorated aqua systems, there is a possibility of additional pressure on the structure. It is important to realistically assess the fragility of the structure and, if necessary, carry out additional strengthening separate walls building. Installation must be done with caution in an independent way. An error in determining the load capacity of a wall has negative impact on the condition of neighboring apartments and the entire floor. If you are in doubt about how to determine the load-bearing wall on the plan, we recommend that you seek advice from the InnovaStroy company.

Studio apartment we demolish walls without damage!

In modern designs they are extremely popular small apartments open spaces called studios. This layout is convenient for a family of 2-3 people. Many people want to remodel large apartments in the studio, dividing the interior space with furniture. This option requires complete or partial demolition of the walls, leaving only the box of the apartment.

It is necessary to understand that such redevelopment requires the creation of supporting structures to distribute the main weight of the upper floors. Many professionals offer clients the use frame technologies and the creation of decorative columns and built-in niches. This option harmoniously delimits the space and does not violate the requirements of higher authorities of technical bureaus.

Let us remember that the older the structure, the more significant the fragility of the main walls. In old-type buildings, the main structures are not allowed. Therefore, dismantling is prohibited without additional supports and a detailed calculation of the weight of the floors. Masters recommend seeking help from professional architects who will help resolve the issue of redevelopment without additional costs and violations of requirements.

Renovating old-style apartments is always a difficult task, requiring the involvement of third parties. We do not recommend carrying out large-scale wall demolition activities on your own at one time. Remember that by turning to professionals, you preserve not only your own comfort, but also the comfort of your neighbors.

Many people are faced with the desire to make some adjustments to the existing apartment design. And here the question arises - which walls are load-bearing and which are ordinary partitions.

Let's be clear right away, what is a load-bearing wall? This is the wall on which structural elements located on subsequent floors rest. And what is noteworthy is that load-bearing walls can be replaced with beams and columns, since they perform the same function - supporting the integrity of the entire structure.

If the redevelopment is carried out incorrectly and the load-bearing wall is demolished, this can lead to big problems- starting with cracks in the structure and ending with the collapse of ceilings. In order to competently rebuild your apartment, you need to know in advance which walls can be demolished during redevelopment and which cannot.

Correct, competent and safe redevelopment can only be carried out by professionals - engineers and builders. Regardless of the scale of the reconstruction, be it a small niche in the wall or the demolition of an entire wall.
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.

Also, if you get everything permits before starting work, there is a chance not to let this issue go into a long box. After all, apartments with unauthorized 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 about the gradation of walls in an apartment before the official verdict, we will tell you a few simple ways how to do it yourself.

Methods for determining load-bearing walls

So, the first, simplest and most accurate is to find constructive plan house, which is kept in the capital construction department, which is located in the city Executive Committee, also known as the Executive Committee. There is also a technical passport of the apartment, which all apartment owners have, but you can understand it only if you know how to read construction drawings.

If you were unable to get a plan, then you can try to determine the load-bearing wall by its thickness and location.

Wall thickness

In a brick house, all walls thicker than 38 cm are load-bearing. The thickness of the walls in such houses is determined by the number of bricks laid out in a row. One brick is 12 cm, which means simple arithmetic works: 250 mm is a wall of two bricks + a 10 mm seam between them. 380 mm is a wall of three bricks + 2 joints of 10 mm each. 510 mm is a wall of four bricks + 3 joints of 10 mm each. 640 mm is a wall of five bricks + 4 joints of 10 mm each. and so on. Interior partitions are built from brick or concrete blocks and range in thickness from 12 to 18 cm. The walls between apartments are slightly thicker - 25cm.

All walls thicker than 14 cm are load-bearing in the panel type. Unfortunately, in these types of houses it is very difficult to realize all your ideas, since most of the walls in such houses are load-bearing. Partitions in panel houses are much thinner than load-bearing walls - only 8-10 cm. There is also a nuance - the thickness of load-bearing walls in panel houses can be 12 cm, it depends on the series of the house. So what should we do? Consider such a wall as a thickened partition, or load-bearing wall? The final answer will only be given to you by an engineer in the relevant organization that issues an opinion on the terms of reference for your project.

Wall thickness is measured excluding plaster and wallpaper. So it’s better to take measurements after all the walls have been cleaned of the old finish.

In monolithic houses there is a load-bearing wall thicker than 20 cm. The surest way for such houses is to take a floor plan from the developer. Since there is now a huge variety of design solutions, 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. And there are cases when a simple partition is thicker than 20cm. So only an architectural plan can clarify this issue.

By location

The outer walls make up the “building box” and are load-bearing. Load-bearing walls also include walls that face flight of stairs and interior walls that face the neighboring apartment.

So, when you managed to identify the load-bearing walls in the apartment, and it turned out that they are the ones you need to change, 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. The thickness and location of which can only be determined for you by specialists when issuing permission to reconstruct the apartment.

Remember! It is very important not to neglect the opinion of professionals during redevelopment and not to engage in amateur activities, which may be fraught with consequences, not only for your apartment, but also for the apartments around you.

• What is a “load-bearing wall” and why is it needed?
• How to find out the location of load-bearing walls in a house?
  • Panel
  • Brick
  • Monolithic
• What actions can be performed with load-bearing walls?
• How to coordinate redevelopment?

From the author: hello, dear readers. We all lovingly love our home, take care of it, and do cosmetic repairs. Sometimes simple things are not enough for us finishing works, and we begin to think about remodeling the apartment. It comes in two types: either construction additional walls, or the demolition of some of the existing ones. In our realities, the second option is most often used. Apartments in many houses are quite small, sometimes it is almost impossible to turn around in such an area. That's why people are trying to get out of the situation with the help of redevelopment.

Is it possible to determine from the BTI documents whether a load-bearing wall is or not?

There is no one generally accepted designation of load-bearing walls on plans. 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, therefore the owner often has to sit for a long time over the received drawings before being able to find out which the wall is load-bearing and which one 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.

Load-bearing wall in the registration certificate for the apartment

Attention

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.

Info

Load-bearing wall in a panel house According to building rules, the minimum thickness of a load-bearing partition in a panel house must be at least 12 cm. This is the pure size, excluding the facing materials on the wall, of which there can be quite a lot (plaster, wallpaper, paint, etc.).

d.).

Important

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, all internal partitions must be measured, having previously cleared them of facing materials.

Only after this has been determined can you begin to plan a major overhaul, choosing the appropriate methods, means and solutions for rebuilding a residential property.

Load-bearing wall in a house - how to determine which walls are load-bearing?

All Khrushchev buildings are characterized by the same layout, and the load-bearing structures in them are usually only those that separate the apartment from other apartments, the landing and the street, and all internal partitions simply separate the rooms and can be safely dismantled. In Khrushchev, the load-bearing wall always has a thickness of more than 12 cm without finishing layers 4 Determining the purpose of the wall according to apartment plans It is believed that the load-bearing wall in any apartment can easily be found using technical documentation, for example, the floor plan of an apartment building.
This is true, but to determine the functions of internal partitions you need to be able to work with design documentation, understand symbols, read diagrams, etc.

Symbols on BTI plans

Both of these types have similar Constructive decisions 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 rectangular 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.

How to determine load-bearing walls in a room

The wall can be marked with a thin line and at the same time be a load-bearing one. Determining 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 Wall thickness 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. Respectively, 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. Inter-apartment partitions 250 mm thick made of brick or 200 mm thick from double panels with air gap.

Load-bearing walls in a brick house have a thickness of 380 mm. Most brick houses built according to standard series– these are the so-called “Stalins” and “Khrushchevs”.

How to find out whether a wall is load-bearing or not in order to protect yourself during redevelopment?

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. Content

• 1 How to determine all the load-bearing walls in your apartment?
• 2 Search load-bearing partitions in a panel house
• 3 What walls can be dismantled in a Khrushchev building?
• 4 Determining the purpose of the wall according to apartment plans
• 5 Rules for dismantling internal partitions

1 How to determine all the load-bearing walls in your apartment? Khrushchev and panel houses have load-bearing walls and thin interior partitions.

How to determine if a wall is load-bearing or not?

The walls that mark the boundaries of the apartment and those that look at the flight of stairs are load-bearing, but in some cases only they alone can take on the entire load of the floors, and it is possible to work with all internal partitions. Load-bearing partitions can also be determined by the thickness of the wall. In this case, the wall thickness should be determined without taking into account the plaster coating. In brick houses, the main partitions are those whose thickness exceeds 38 cm.

If a house is built from reinforced concrete panels, then the load-bearing walls in it are at least 14 cm thick, and often these also include those walls that define the boundaries of the bathrooms. In monolithic houses, walls with a thickness of 20 cm or more are the main ones.

But in such houses it is not enough to rely on only one size, and a wall more than 20 cm thick can only be an ordinary partition.

How to find a load-bearing wall in an apartment and do the redevelopment correctly

To determine the load-bearing walls, it is necessary to use the plan. When remodeling, you must contact specialists for permission to dismantle the partitions. Even if you plan to move the doorway, you must have certain documents that must be provided by employees of the BTI or other relevant government bodies. If an illegal redevelopment has been carried out in an apartment, it becomes impossible to sell it, and obtaining permission for redevelopment after its implementation is quite problematic. Any work with walls should be treated with full responsibility, because even the slightest crack in a load-bearing wall can affect the entire structure of the building. Carrying out work with load-bearing walls It is possible to carry out some work on load-bearing walls, however, any actions must be carried out exclusively by competent specialists.

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 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.

How is a load-bearing wall indicated in the technical data sheet?

To more accurately determine the thickness, you must first clean the surface of all decorative layers: plaster, paint, wallpaper and, especially, drywall. Although finishing does not make such significant adjustments, it can still have a critical effect on the measurement result.

What actions can be performed with load-bearing walls? As mentioned above, the structure that bears the main load is the basis of the entire building. Therefore, it must be handled with extreme care. To begin with, let’s outline those actions that are unacceptable to perform in relation to a load-bearing wall:

• demolish, as this is fraught with loss of stability of the entire building;
• move to another place - for the same reasons as in the previous paragraph;
• groove under wiring or pipes.

But still she is not completely untouchable.

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 serious decision, which accordingly requires a serious approach. It is not enough to simply make an opening in the wall or, even more so, 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, the redevelopment must be agreed upon with the authority 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. Basically, in brick residential buildings, internal partitions are made of brick or gypsum concrete panels 80 or 120 mm thick. 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.

Most brick houses built according to standard series are the so-called “Stalinka” and “Khrushchev” buildings. Both of these types have similar design 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. Eventually, 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. The standard thickness of walls and pylons is 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 carry out 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 basis 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 subject to 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 take on the load not only of their own weight, but also the weight 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 in 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.

Note! 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 by 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 building. 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 a verdict from authorized persons cannot be avoided.

Permission from relevant authorities.

Many people don't want to get involved with officials and prefer to solve such important questions 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.

Note! 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 government 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 load-bearing walls, they must 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.

Note! 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 premises are 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.

Note! 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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