removing internal wall

Want to remove an internal gyprock wall between 2 rooms to create an open area. Got a builder to have to look and he said he's not sure. Do I need a structural engineer to check it out? What exactly do structural engineers do? Do they also need the floor plans to determine if a wall can be removed? How much do they charge?
 
If the builder is unsure of the structure, to determine whether the gyprock wall is part of the structure, walls may hold up the roof as well as define rooms. Engineers are the go
You may need a lintel, where the wall was, or columns to support the load, especially if there is an upstairs above this wall.
Engineers can determine the load bearing structure needed to hold the load above, to be tied in to existing structure.
Floor plans make it easier (less $), the engineer can determine from inspecting the structure, but it costs more.
Whatever the engineer costs before, is less than remediation after

The builder didnt just gut it and "Oops".
I think thats a good sign
builder skill-integrity-commitment is not always present.
Holmes on homes shows a lot of the gut it and run types, season 9 here
 
Want to remove an internal gyprock wall between 2 rooms to create an open area. Got a builder to have to look and he said he's not sure. Do I need a structural engineer to check it out? What exactly do structural engineers do? Do they also need the floor plans to determine if a wall can be removed? How much do they charge?

how can a builder not be sure ,where did you dig him up from ?.look up in the ceiling and see what type of roof you have ,truss or pitched ,if its a trussed roof you can be pretty assured that the loading of the roof will be on the outer perimeters of the house ,if its a pitched roof you will have to get up there and see if there are any support points on the wall in question ,if none then its nonload bearing if some then a real builder or at least someone with enough ticker to make a judgement is called for ,
 
how can a builder not be sure
Agreed a competent builder would know.. but for the sake of crossing the t's and dotting the i's, a written instruction by a structural engineer would give a guarantee for the house being structurally sound after the wall is removed.. So in the unlikely event there is any future damage to the house, your home insurance is still valid.
look up in the ceiling and see what type of roof you have
I see this kind of advice no different to other's advice on doing electrical work yourself - which is deleted by the mods. Your making assumptions.. just because it's not load bearing doesn't mean it's not a bracing wall.
 
Agreed a competent builder would know.. but for the sake of crossing the t's and dotting the i's, a written instruction by a structural engineer would give a guarantee for the house being structurally sound after the wall is removed.. So in the unlikely event there is any future damage to the house, your home insurance is still valid.

I see this kind of advice no different to other's advice on doing electrical work yourself - which is deleted by the mods. Your making assumptions.. just because it's not load bearing doesn't mean it's not a bracing wall.

and a structural engineer will have no idea if the wall is a bracing or not by looking at it ,he/she will only know after the wall panelling is opened for viewing ,also if its a bracing wall the engineer will say that it may not be able to be removed so you are back to square one and a damaged wall to boot ,
 
and a structural engineer will have no idea if the wall is a bracing or not by looking at it
Not quite. Bracing walls are required to be fixed at the top to the rafter/joists/or trusses and can be seen in the roof cavity.
it may not be able to be removed so you are back to square one and a damaged wall to boot
In this case a structural engineer would save the plaster board from being damaged
 
and a structural engineer will have no idea if the wall is a bracing or not by looking at it ,he/she will only know after the wall panelling is opened for viewing ,also if its a bracing wall the engineer will say that it may not be able to be removed so you are back to square one and a damaged wall to boot ,

This is exactly my concern.

The wall is actually located in the basement. The previous owner removed most of the piers and replaced them with steel beams and created a basement area. We can see the ceiling was created before the wall, which indicate the wall might be there just to partition a room. But what concerned the builder was that there are 8 posts in that 2.5m wall. Above the basement, there's another wall sitting on top of the basement wall so we are not sure.
 
This is exactly my concern.

The wall is actually located in the basement. The previous owner removed most of the piers and replaced them with steel beams and created a basement area. We can see the ceiling was created before the wall, which indicate the wall might be there just to partition a room. But what concerned the builder was that there are 8 posts in that 2.5m wall. Above the basement, there's another wall sitting on top of the basement wall so we are not sure.

LOL. You didn't think this information was relevant when you first posted? I would imagine this completely changes the question, and that pretty much everything debated before this, while useful and interesting, will pretty much have zero application in your specific situation...
 
LOL. You didn't think this information was relevant when you first posted? I would imagine this completely changes the question, and that pretty much everything debated before this, while useful and interesting, will pretty much have zero application in your specific situation

ahh the whole story ,here i am looking up and if i had all the facts i would be looking down
 
A good builder will not only confirm for you whether a wall is load bearing or not, but they will include in their quote/service getting of the permit & sign-off and engineering of the requried lintel to be put in place to hold up the structure.

Every problem has a solution - it just also has a price associated with it!

Wishing you every success,
Ana Stankovic
 
I've got a wall 2.15m wide x 2.4m high which currently is between the dining and kitchen that I'd like gone, property is brick veneer/pitched roof/single storey.

Can anyone recommend a Melbourne builder they have used?

Whats a ball-park cost? The wall has no power outlets/light switches.
I'm tempted to rip the plaster off and take a look (and save some cash??)

:confused:
 
Want to remove an internal gyprock wall between 2 rooms to create an open area. Got a builder to have to look and he said he's not sure. Do I need a structural engineer to check it out? What exactly do structural engineers do? Do they also need the floor plans to determine if a wall can be removed? How much do they charge?

Liability .... in the past I've found a lot of people don't want to give an opion due to you then being able to hold them liable. It's easier to say I'm not sure and walk away, regardless of what they really think. Might be that the job is too small and fiddly and builder is not interested. Try another builder.

Have you got a mate who can have a look at it?

Cheers
Graeme
 
Not as simple as that, if it's a non load bearing wall, it still may contain bracing for the rest of the structure.

Does this help at all? Red line is approximately where the wall is.











Can you guys recommend a builder/structural engineer?
 
Going on the red line in pic three, it is load bearing, (supporting the ceiling joists and ceiling) and the wall would actually be to the left of the red line under where the ceiling joists join.
 
easy way to tell is take a look in the ceiling... if there are trusses it wont be load bearing and you can knock it down, if its a stick built roof, good chance it is and you need a professional to look at it.

edit: didnt see those pics, looks like its not a trussed roof. To be safe id get a chippy in to take a look, then knock it down yourself.
 
You need to put some supporting timbers in there or your ceiling will fall down.

Get a chippy to work out how big and cost.

Cheers
Graeme
 
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