Building advise needed

[Sancho]

Splendid. Yes, is looks like the stairs are self-supporting. Just check that they are not on hangars fixed to the wall before you can be 100%

A catnic as shown would do the job. You would need to acrow prop the joist whilst you get the catnic in place. You just need to select the right size of catnic - if you don't want to get an engineer involved, building control will probably give you free advice on the load.

[pops]

Do a tiger and put a couple of Acros in there. lol
you need an RSJ in there

[Vagrant No2]

Thanks for everyones advise .
Off to get me big hammer.

[pops]

Thanks for everyones advise .
Off to get me big hammer.

you could get a donkey to push it over rick

[Pelicanbill]

Loving the 80s porn music on your website

rofl .. don't go there!

It was amoment of pure madness lol

[Pelicanbill]

Judging from the pictures the wall is a load bearing and the timbers supporting the floor above are not on a wall plate. I'd put in a temp timber spreader and a couple of acros to take the load while you taking out the wall. You could use timber props, its your job, your responsibility

The stairs will be self supporting

You will need to go right into the side wall, and not just place your lintel above the door frame as there is insufficient load bearing capability in the thermal block.

Actually, you might consider actually doing this job with building control in attendance .... well, at least if you are considering selling it at some time in the near future. I take it you not that interested in going down the proper route

[Pelicanbill]

I understand now.

It would depend on the load being put on the wall and the size of opening you want to make, but you may be able to get away with just putting a bigger lintel such as this in there.

That should give you a span of up to 2700 at 20kn load and I would expect the upper floor of a house to be much less than 20kn. Your best bet, however, is to either consult a structural engineer or get hold of the original building regulations submissions for the house (the Council should have them) as they're likely to include details on loads. You can bigger catnics if you want a bigger span or the top floor of your house is incredibly heavy

Hope that helps a bit....

it's only heavy when it falls on your foot!

Anyway, I agree ... if it was me, no problem but that is only because I have the experience not to panic. I'd call in the building control and then you know it's being done correctly at minimal cost and its all above board etc

[Vagrant No2]

I do a lot of my own building work as dont tend to trust many other people (present forum members excluded as always given sound building advise before to me) as had bad experience before .
Would use acros and a scafold board spread the load across the ceiling near to the wall and cut in a lintle or catnic as thick as the wall is .
I done a knock through at last house so have done similar before.

[Vagrant No2]

As I want the wall to the left of the door to be level with the wall inside the cupboard I assume I would need to rest the end of the catnic or rsj on the other wall for support ?

[tintin]

As I want the wall to the left of the door to be level with the wall inside the cupboard I assume I would need to rest the end of the catnic or rsj on the other wall for support ?

sketch a plan of the ground floor layout (just roughly) and between us we'll tell you exactly where the lintel needs to go!

Alan

[stormforce]

At our old house we knocked the old outside wall down.We acro'd the roof up and then knocked the wall down.we had to put in new foundations and dpc and then built a cavity wall.We actually lifted the roof a bit so in order we could build the wall to the exact height and then lowered the roof back down on top of the wall then secured the roof joist to the wall.

We did have to do a similar thing to you tho Rick by knocking another wall down and had to put reinforced lintals across to hold the wall above.We had to dig out the original wall in order to push the lintal in to take the weight on that side

[Vagrant No2]

sketch a plan of the ground floor layout (just roughly) and between us we'll tell you exactly where the lintel needs to go!

Alan

I did not draw the lintle in fully to the left as I should have so if the lintle went all the way left and I dug a hole in the cavity wall it could rest on the inner wall ?
Would I need to add a support somehow to stop the right hand part of wall collaping due to being cut at an angle ? I could weld a beam in from the new lintle/rsj long the cut to the floor ?

[fatfires]

I did not draw the lintle in fully to the left as I should have so if the lintle went all the way left and I dug a hole in the cavity wall it could rest on the inner wall ?
Would I need to add a support somehow to stop the right hand part of wall collaping due to being cut at an angle ? I could weld a beam in from the new lintle/rsj long the cut to the floor ?

The right hand end of the lintol would need to be longer than you show, if you run a vertical line up from the end of your opening at floor level, the lintol will need to have the reccomended bearing to the right of that, you would probably be best to open up a larger opening and then infill the side of the stairs with studding otherwise you have the original blockwork hanging unsuported. I dont think building control would accept an angled lintol and the problems assoceated fixing it at floor level

[BigBobE]

just a suggestion with stairs, why not open them up and put a set of banisters, down.....

[Sancho]

Yes, the lintel should be cut into the perpendicular wall. Assuming that's an external cavity wall, you should rest the end on the inner leaf, not protruding into the cavity. You need 150mm minimum solid wall under each end of the lintel (i.e. the lintel should be at least a foot longer than the size of the opening you want to make). Personally, I would go for at least 200mm given that I'm not expecting you to be exactly laser measuring this....

Don't cut the wall at the right end at an angle. You need to cut the opening vertically to ensure the blockwork is solid from lintel to ground. To get a diagonal, you need to oversize the opening and infill afterwards - as suggested stud work or just opening up the staircase to the room would work. Personally, I'd put stud in to maintain fire compartments.