How to determine the load-bearing walls in the house: monolithic, panel and brick houses. How to find a load-bearing wall in an apartment and do the redevelopment correctly. What are the load-bearing walls in a brick house

How to determine if a wall is load bearing

Many people, wanting to make their apartment more spacious, cozier or more functional, decide to arrange a redevelopment. This is a serious decision, which accordingly requires a serious approach. It is not enough just to make an opening in the wall or, moreover, 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. And for work, it is better to contact a specialized organization that deals with diamond cutting of concrete. In any case, redevelopment must be coordinated with the authority local government. Administrative punishment is provided for spontaneous redevelopment.

So. How can you tell if 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 the 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. Bearing walls can be internal and external. Internal load-bearing walls are usually thinner than external ones due to the absence of the 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 refer to the building plan. This may be an architectural and construction plan of a working project for a building or a floor plan from the BTI passport. Unfortunately, there is no standard for the designation of load-bearing walls on the plan. For example, in the architectural and construction plan, load-bearing walls are highlighted with separate hatching, and on the BTI plan, with thicker lines, but not always. The wall can be indicated by a thin line and at the same time be a carrier.

Determination of load-bearing walls by thickness

The second way to find out which wall is load-bearing, by its location and thickness.

load-bearing walls in 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. 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 80 or 120 mm thick. Inter-apartment partitions 250 mm thick brick or 200 mm double panels with air gap. Bearing walls in a brick house have a thickness of 380 mm.

Most of the brick houses built according to standard series are the so-called "Stalinka" and "Khrushchev". 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 and, in general, are also load-bearing.

Also, the walls are load-bearing, on which interfloor floor slabs are supported (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. Under the beams, as a rule, interroom or interroom partitions are installed.

Bearing walls in a panel house

AT panel houses the thickness of the 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 or more. Most often, these are single-layer panels of expanded clay concrete with a thickness of 300-350 mm or multi-layer consisting of two reinforced concrete panels with a thickness of 60 mm (external) and 80-100 mm (internal), separated by a heater. Eventually, load-bearing walls in a panel house have a thickness of 120 mm or more.

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 houses 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 bearing columns can be more than 300 mm. Thickness internal walls, usually made of aerated concrete blocks, ranges from 200 mm. In this way, the thickness of non-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, from foam blocks).

If any of the above methods causes you difficulties, you will need to seek help from specialists in design organizations to conduct an engineering survey. Most often, this is necessary in the case of atypical construction, buildings according to individual project or old building.

The load-bearing wall is the basis of the building, we do redevelopment very carefully

Bearing walls are supporting structures

Load-bearing walls are the pillars of the entire structure. After all, it is on them that the entire frame rests. Therefore, a violation of this design can lead to disastrous results. Redevelopment requires special knowledge and skills.

Engineers and builders - only these people can correctly and competently redevelop the premises. Therefore, if you are planning to demolish a wall or just make a niche, then you should immediately contact the professionals.

No matter how much work you need to do, even if you want to just make a recess in the wall, it is very important to follow the advice and opinions of professionals.

Start of redevelopment

Everyone knows that load-bearing walls cannot be demolished and broken. But sometimes redevelopment is exactly what is required. First of all, you should figure out which walls are load-bearing and 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 redevelopment is possible and safe. The issued document indicates the walls that can be demolished without compromising the strength of the apartment and house. After these procedures, you can contact architects and builders to start redevelopment and further repair work.
• In addition, it is very important not to forget that 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 over future redevelopment in advance, and after receiving the official results, simply adjust it in accordance with safety requirements.

Having decided to start repairing and rebuilding load-bearing walls, or making arches (see Arch in an apartment: transformation into a decorative structure) or doors, you need to decide how realistic it is to do it. And to understand which walls in the apartment are bearing, what is their function and what can be done with them. Let's deal with these questions in order.

What are the requirements for load-bearing walls

Walls, ceiling, floor bearing structures Basically all buildings. It is walls, not partitions (see Partitions and walls - what is the difference).

Certain requirements are imposed on them, and if the design is changed, the requirements must be met, and they are as follows:

They must be strong, durable and stable, as this is the support of the entire building. They carry the weight of the roof and ceiling.

How to identify 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 of ceilings. Having conceived a major overhaul associated with redevelopment, you just need to know how to determine the load-bearing wall.

The load-bearing wall is installed perpendicular to the slab that rests on it. That is, the plate lies with its short side on the wall, giving it a significant part of its mass. In buildings, load-bearing walls are not always used. Sometimes columns or beams are placed instead. But basically, load-bearing walls are installed in residential premises during construction, which in some cases is easy to determine, in others it is difficult.

Bearing wall - support for floor slabs

We note in advance that operations carried out with load-bearing walls, including internal wiring, arranging niches and various openings, should not be carried out on your own without professional skills. About arches. doorways, extended sections or partial demolition and out of the question.

How to determine which wall is load-bearing

Most easy way find a load-bearing wall - familiarize yourself with the plan of the house. On it, this wall is marked quite clearly. The plan can be found at the local executive committee in the capital construction department. You can also use detailed plan apartments, located in the house book or registration certificate. But in this case, the owner must have some building experience and skills in reading drawings.

You can also look at such a plan together with the neighbors living on the floor above. Their design should specify 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 lie.

Note! If there is even the slightest drop of uncertainty, in no case do not touch the wall, as this can be very expensive.

The thickness of the brick load-bearing wall

If the plan cannot be obtained, we will determine the bearing wall by characteristics. The location of a wall can say a lot about its purpose. The walls facing the staircase hall, as well as the internal walls bordering the neighbors' apartment, are load-bearing. In addition, some of the outer walls bordering environment, can also be carriers. They can make up the box of the 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 reinforced concrete panel has a thickness of more than 14 cm, then these walls are load-bearing. Now more about this.

brick houses

The width of the brick is 12 cm. The cement joint between the bricks takes an average of 1 cm. Simple mathematics tells us that 38 cm is a three-brick masonry in which there are two joints (12+1+12+1+12=38). 51 cm - 4-brick masonry; 64 cm - 5-brick, etc. Interior walls are usually no thicker than 18 cm. The thickness of the walls is determined without 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 on an individual project, and the author of the layout will help determine the load-bearing wall.

Panel houses

Bearing walls in a panel house

It is very difficult to realize your building ideas in a panel or block house, since most of the walls in it are load-bearing. These include inter-apartment, and external and perpendicular to the external walls. The walls of the sanitary rooms are also load-bearing.

Partitions between rooms are only 80-100 mm. But there are exceptional cases when in such houses the thickness of the walls is 12 centimeters wide. Should it be considered a carrier, or is it just a thickened partition? In this case, it is necessary to turn to competent people for help, who will draw a conclusion based on the architectural design of the building. They will also 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, the foundation of which smoothly passes into the frame of the building, any wall with a thickness of more than 20 cm is considered to be load-bearing. However, in such houses, which are often built not according to the standard, but according to the design decision of the customer, it is not enough to be guided by the same dimensions to determine the load-bearing wall. 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 a drawing can serve as a help. If for some reason they are not available, then the verdict of authorized persons cannot be dispensed with.

Permission from the relevant authorities.

Many do not want to contact officials and prefer to resolve such important issues on their own. But this is fraught with gross errors. Do not be afraid to call specialists to your home for advice and permission. Moreover, if you find on the wall, even if it is not bearing, the slightest cracks, a damp or crumbling area, invite an inspector who will assess the degree of damage and give advice.

Note! Any redevelopment, regardless of the type of apartment, whether it is Khrushchev or a cottage house, requires the consent and written permission of the BTI or other relevant public services. Works on load-bearing walls, even if performed by a professional, also require a permit.

If you still have to carry out some dismantling of the bearing walls, they should 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, engineers licensed for this construction activity should monitor the process and carry out calculations of such columns.

Note! It is impossible to sell an apartment with an illegal redevelopment, and it will be very difficult and problematic to get a project for an already converted apartment.

It is not necessary to think that the planned work is insignificant, and it is not worth it to call the brigade. The slightest mistake can cost the lives of many people, because an imperceptible microcrack in bearing wall over time can lead to the collapse of the building.

Work carried out on load-bearing walls

Installation of a support during the demolition of a load-bearing wall

If you decide to carry out work on load-bearing walls, for example, ditching ditches, do it with the utmost care. If there are sockets or switches on the wall. remember that wiring is hidden inside the wall. which, if the room is not de-energized, can disable the power supply system and cause injury to the worker. If the house is old, it may even be in the wall gas pipe. Work carefully and, if possible, use a project where all these nuances are noted.

Note! Never forget that you can not demolish a load-bearing wall, leaving the floor without support.

If professional skills allow you to take on the partial removal of the wall, do not forget to place a support in the resulting opening, which can be hidden with false beams over time.

Additional tips can be found below:

Before the beginning overhaul, involving changes in the layout of the apartment, it is necessary to identify the load-bearing walls. By law, such building structures are prohibited from dismantling, 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 state bodies that control compliance with existing regulations. building codes and rules.

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

Khrushchev and panel houses have load-bearing walls and thin interior partitions. Only non-load-bearing structures can be dismantled to unite the premises, work with which will not lead to emergency situations that are dangerous for users of the building. 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 comfortable living people, and their demolition frees up additional usable space.

But not a single load-bearing wall should be destroyed during the repair. Such partitions perform very important functions in the house - they take on the weight of the building structures located above. If the load-bearing wall cannot withstand all the load it receives, it will begin to collapse, which can eventually lead to the collapse of entire sections of the house and human casualties.

So that the repair does not lead to such negative consequences and you need to know 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. Contacting the BTI. The Bureau of Technical Inventory keeps the technical passport of each house.
2. 2. Independent determination of the functions of partitions. If there is no 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 a panel house, as in any other, 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 a septum is its thickness. In panel houses, load-bearing walls are always much thicker than ordinary interior partitions.

By building regulations the minimum thickness of the load-bearing partition in a prefabricated house must be at least 12 cm. This is a net size, excluding facing materials on the wall, of which there can be quite a lot (plaster, wallpaper, paint, etc.). 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, everything must be measured, having previously cleared them of facing materials. Only once this has been determined, it is possible to proceed with the planning of a major renovation, choosing the appropriate methods, means and solutions for the reconstruction of a residential facility.

When taking measurements, it should be borne in mind that all the walls in the old nine-story panel houses consist of panels, and therefore many of them have load-bearing functions, which makes it impossible to dismantle them. It is forbidden to carry out a lot of work with load-bearing walls, in addition to dismantling - to create door and window openings in them without obtaining the appropriate permits from the responsible authorities, and even ditch them to install communications.

What walls can be dismantled in Khrushchev?

In Khrushchev, it is quite simple to determine the purpose of the walls. To do this, you can use the technical passport of a residential facility, and if it is not there, take special measurements. All Khrushchev houses are characterized by the same layout, and the supporting 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.

However, it is not necessary to immediately start dismantling work, 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 cleared of cladding is thicker than 12 cm, it can be demolished without fear of negative consequences.

The wall separating the apartment and the balcony usually does not perform any load-bearing functions in Khrushchev. 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 inspection, with which redevelopment is being coordinated.

You can also find out about the possibility of transferring and disassembling a wall using drilling. In Khrushchev, the load-bearing walls are very durable and sometimes you have to change the drills one by one to create holes in them. To create a hole in a curtain wall, almost no effort is needed, the drill passes through it very easily.

Determination of the purpose of the wall according to the plans of the apartment

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 in order to determine the functions of internal partitions, it is necessary to be able to work with project documentation, understand symbols, read diagrams, etc.

Unfortunately, there is no single generally accepted designation of load-bearing walls on plans that would be used by all design companies, developers and other organizations, so the owner often has to sit over the received drawings for a long time before he can find out which wall is load-bearing and which is not.

On the architectural and construction plans of the working project for the construction of an apartment building, load-bearing walls are usually distinguished by special shading. On plans from the BTI, such structures are indicated with a greater thickness than simple interior partitions, but not always. It is not uncommon for a wall to be marked with a thin line on the plans of old houses, but in reality it is a load-bearing one.

Owners are strongly discouraged from trying to perform wall measurements or data from the data sheet based on the results obtained. It is 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 the dismantling of internal partitions

Redevelopment is considered by modern legislation as a major, complex and responsible 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 redevelopment, from which it is impossible to deviate in any case.

The procedure provided for by law involves the preliminary design of a major overhaul and the coordination of the developed project documentation with the housing inspectorate or the local administration of the settlement. In order for the project to be successfully approved, it should be ordered from professional designers, whose qualifications are confirmed by SRO approvals and licenses from state regulatory authorities.

For approval at the MFC, it is necessary to submit a package of documents, which includes:

• application from the owner of the apartment for redevelopment;
• redevelopment project;
• technical opinion from the designers on the possibility and safety of the overhaul;
• certificate of ownership;
• the consent of the people registered in the apartment for a major overhaul.

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 whether he is allowed to carry out redevelopment. If the housing inspectorate considers that the planned repairs may adversely affect the building, the owner will be prohibited from implementing the project documentation.

It is not worth ignoring the requirements of the legislation on the need to coordinate a major overhaul. If you carry out redevelopment without the appropriate permits, you can not only violate the integrity of the house and endanger your own and other people's health, but also receive an order from the housing inspectorate requiring you to pay a fine established by law (up to 2500 rubles for individuals) and return the home to its original layout, which will have to spend an impressive amount of money.

Bearing wall (Fig. 1)- the main carrier-enclosing vertical design building, which rests and transfers to the foundation the load from the ceilings and the self-weight of the wall, separating adjacent rooms in the building and protecting them from the effects of the external environment.

Self-supporting wall (Fig. 2)- an external enclosing vertical structure that protects the interior of the building from the effects of the external environment, resting and transferring the load from its own weight to the foundation.

Fig.2. Self-supporting wall (the outer wall rests on the foundation, and the ceiling adjoins the wall)

Curtain wall (Fig. 3)- an external wall resting on a ceiling within one floor with a floor height of not more than 6 m. (with a higher floor height, these walls are self-supporting) and protecting the building from the outside from the effects of the external environment.

Partition- an internal vertical enclosing non-bearing wall, based on the floor, and separating adjacent rooms in the building.

In buildings with self-supporting and non-load-bearing external walls, loads from coatings, ceilings, etc. are transferred to the frame or transverse structures of buildings.

In the house, the walls that stand on the foundation and on which the ceilings rest will be carriers.

And the walls standing on the foundation without resting the ceiling on them will be self-supporting.

Fig.3. Non-bearing wall (outer wall rests on the floor slab)

Walls of different design purposes carry different loads. To ensure the necessary bearing capacity for different walls, a certain wall thickness and the strength of the materials used are selected.

For example, internal and external load-bearing walls of buildings made of aerated concrete blocks up to 3 floors inclusive are recommended to be made from blocks of classes in compressive strength not lower than B2.5, with glue or mortar of grade not lower than M75; at a height of up to 2 floors inclusive - not lower than B2 on glue or on a solution of grade not lower than M50.

For self-supporting walls of buildings up to 3 floors high, the block class must be at least B2.

From the author: hello dear readers. We all love our homes, take care of them, make cosmetic repairs. Sometimes simple things are not enough for us finishing works, and we begin to think about the redevelopment of the apartment. It is of two types: either the construction additional walls, or the demolition of some of the existing ones.

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. Therefore, people are trying to get out of the situation with the help of redevelopment. Someone connects the kitchen and the living room, someone expands the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room by attaching a loggia to it, and some simply make one large hall out of two rooms.

The problem is that not every wall can be safely damaged or removed. In any house there are load-bearing structures, without which the structure will simply collapse. Therefore, you must definitely have information on how to find out if the wall is load-bearing or not, so that redevelopment does not lead to huge fines or tragedy.

And before I start, I would like to draw your attention to the following. After the redevelopment of the apartment, they usually make cosmetic repairs, and, most often, on a rather large scale. Since you are even ready to start demolishing the walls on your own, you are unlikely to want to entrust the decoration of the room to outsiders.

What is a "bearing wall", and what is it for?

It is called "carrier" precisely because it bears the weight of all that is above. It bears the load from beams, walls, ceilings and the like. Simply put, load-bearing elements are the foundation of the building, on which everything rests. If one of them is damaged or removed, the result can be very tragic - from cracks in other walls, where in this case there will be an additional load, to the collapse of the building.

That is why any redevelopment must be pre-agreed in the BTI. As you understand, this is a forced security measure necessary for all people living in the house. Including for the initiators of such a global repair.

We will return to the issue of coordination in more detail a little later, but now we will talk about how to distinguish load-bearing elements from ordinary ones so as not to accidentally create a dangerous situation.

How to find out the location of the load-bearing walls in the house?

The easiest way is to get a plan of your house from the Capital Construction Authority (CCA). This useful drawing shows both the directly load-bearing elements and the floor slabs resting on them. A similar plan can also be taken from a house book or a technical passport, but everything is somewhat more complicated there, for understanding it is necessary to understand the drawings and have at least some experience in construction work.

If for some reason none of the plans is available to you, then you will have to involve the knowledge that you will gain from this article. But remember it firmly: if there is even the slightest shadow of doubt, then do not try to start redevelopment without official clarification. Any mistake in this case threatens with very big troubles, and this is at best.

So let's start with some common features. Walls are usually load-bearing:

• delimiting your apartment and neighbors;
• separating landing from your home.

A more specific indication is the thickness of the wall, which depends on the type of house.

Panel

Here, almost all vertical elements bear the load. The only exceptions are some internal partitions. Their thickness is usually 80-100 mm, in some cases up to 120 mm. But from 120 mm and above - this size is already characteristic of load-bearing walls.

You can also navigate by the material from which the structure is made. Practically in all prefabricated houses, gypsum concrete panels are used for internal partitions. But for those who worry us the most now - reinforced concrete blocks.

Brick

Here, the thickness of the structures of interest to us should be at least 380 mm. But such a simple approach will only help in houses built before the 90s. In newer buildings, the situation may be quite different. Therefore, to accurately determine the type of walls in such houses, you still need to look for an official source of information.

Monolithic

This type of structure is a structure made using a frame of reinforcement, which is poured with concrete. In such buildings, the main load usually falls on those walls whose thickness is at least 20 cm. But such buildings are usually made according to individual orders, so it’s still worth focusing on the plan of the house.

For a more accurate determination of the thickness, you must first clean the surface of all decorative layers: plaster, paint, wallpaper, and, moreover,. Although the finish does not make such a significant adjustment, it can still critically affect 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, we denote those actions that are unacceptable to perform in relation to the bearing wall:

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

However, she is not completely untouchable. For example, you can:

• make or expand a doorway;
• drill, including through, if the hole will have a small diameter.

At the same time, it should be taken into account that it is possible to make and expand openings only after official agreement with the administration. And when drilling, you must first determine if there is wiring inside the wall. Otherwise, you can get directly into it with a drill, which threatens you with serious injuries, and the apartment - with a blackout.

How to agree on a redevelopment?

At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that any actions related to changing the layout of the apartment must first be coordinated with the relevant authorities. As a rule, such issues are dealt with by the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI). Consent is mandatory for two reasons.

Firstly, residents cannot always correctly determine the type of wall, so they begin to perform some prohibited actions with the carrier, mistaking it for an internal partition. Which, as has been mentioned more than once, can become a real threat to people's lives.

Secondly, without official permission, any redevelopment is considered illegal. This will lead to fines, and to the fact that subsequently such an apartment will be impossible to sell.

At the end of the topic, we suggest you watch the video for more clarity. Remember that only you are responsible for the actions performed in your apartment. Therefore, treat the issues of redevelopment very carefully. Good luck and great achievements in the repair!

Many people, especially those living in Khrushchev apartments, are trying to remake their small and uncomfortable apartments using redevelopment. But it is one thing to complete it in an individual building, and quite another to change the doorway or move the partition in a high-rise building, where almost every wall is load-bearing. All this ensures the safety of residents in combination with the entire technical design of the house.

What is rescheduling? According to the housing code, this concept includes all changes in the configuration of the apartment that require them to be included in the technical passport. It:

• changing the location of load-bearing walls and partitions,
• moving window and door openings,
• re-equipment of vestibules and dark closets,
• arrangement of internal
• bathroom refurbishment,
• division of large rooms,
• expansion of living space due to household premises,
• glazing of a balcony or loggia,
• replacement gas stoves for electric,
• relocation of a bathroom, kitchen or toilet.

All these types of changes in the apartment are related to redevelopment and in the relevant authorities.

What can not be demolished: load-bearing wall

Most often, redevelopment is associated with the demolition of interior partitions. But which walls can be touched, and which not - not everyone knows. The reckless demolition of structures leads to a change in the action of forces on the remaining surfaces and rooms located below. In addition, ceilings left without support may not withstand the load and collapse at any time. Since, in addition to separating different rooms, wall elements serve as ceiling supports for all similar structural elements located above.

The main (bearing) walls in practice are perpendicular to the floor beams. If it is made of concrete slabs, then their ends rest on the surface of the supporting structure. Usually these are walls between apartments and blocks, or external. As a rule, only partitions are equipped inside the apartment.

How do you know which wall is load bearing?

Is it possible to determine the purpose of the wall yourself? Of course. According to its thickness or the material from which it was built. In panel houses indoor units are up to 120 mm thick. Therefore, they can be considered partitions (their thickness ranges from 80-120 mm). The bearing surface must be at least 140 mm thick. Most often, in such houses, the outer walls are made with a thickness of 200 mm or more. In brick houses - external, load-bearing structures have a thickness of 380 mm or more, inter-apartment - 250 mm, and partitions 120 or 80 mm.

As a material for load-bearing walls in prefabricated houses, wall or inter-apartment blocks made of reinforced concrete with various additives are most often used to facilitate construction and increase thermal protection. Internal partitions in 90% of panel houses are made of gypsum concrete panels. In brick buildings, the main material for all walls is red and silicate brick, which differ in size. Gypsum concrete panels can also be used as partitions in them.

Of course, no one is going to demolish the outer walls, but the partitions can be removed after obtaining the appropriate permission. To accurately determine which of the walls is the carrier, it is best to use the BTI data - a detailed floor plan. There, thicker lines mark all the main walls, and partitions that do not have such functions are marked with thinner lines.

What is required for demolition?

In any case, before proceeding with the demolition of a particular wall and its transfer, you need to consult a qualified specialist. As well as a complete calculation, taking into account the distribution of loads that must be transferred from old structures to newly built ones. In addition, you may have to change the power supply scheme. In addition, it must be borne in mind that the uncoordinated demolition of the walls of the premises may put it on sale or execution of donation documents, etc. But that's not all. Such actions are considered illegal and entail penalties, subpoenas, and may even lead to the confiscation of the apartment.

Therefore, the coordination of the redevelopment project is necessary in any case. What is needed for that?

1. A plan developed by the BTI service specifically for this type of redevelopment.
2. Drawing up a technical report on the demolition of the wall.
3. Obtaining a positive conclusion from the housing inspection at the place of registration.