What does a load-bearing wall mean in a house? Bearing walls in Khrushchev and their demolition

When a house is built, it has both load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls. The difference between them, as you understand, is that some of them are responsible for supporting the entire structural weight of the structure, while others, the so-called "curtain" or "curtain walls", are used exclusively to divide rooms into rooms and nothing support. Before making any changes to the walls of your home, it is important to be very sure which walls are and which are not load-bearing, as demolition or changes in load-bearing walls can affect the structural stability of your home with potentially catastrophic consequences. Start with Step 1 below to begin your search for load-bearing walls in your home.

Steps

Part 1

Looking for structural clues

Start at the lowest point of your home. To determine which walls in your house are load-bearing, it is best to start where the main load is applied, from the most basic part of your house - from the foundation. If your home has a basement, start here. If not, try starting from the first floor, where you can locate the lowest concrete "slab".

When you are at the very bottom of your building, look at the walls, the beam system of which rests right on the foundation. The load-bearing walls of your home transfer the tension of their structure to a durable concrete foundation, so any walls that are directly on the foundation must be considered load-bearing and cannot be demolished.
Moreover, external walls houses in most houses are load-bearing. You can see this at the level of the foundation - whether they are made of wood, stone or brick, almost all of the outer walls rest directly on the foundation.

Determine the location of the beam system. Look for thick, sturdy wood or metal posts called beams... They carry most of the load on your home, transferring it to the foundation. Beams often stretch across many floors and therefore can be part of multiple walls. If your beam extends from a foundation within any wall above it, that wall must be considered load-bearing and must not be demolished.
- Except for rooms that are not yet finished, most of the beams will be behind the trim. So be prepared to check the construction documents or contact the builder if you cannot find one. The easiest way to find beams is in the basement or attic, where they are not covered.
Look for beams floor slabs(floor transoms). Look at the point where the beam meets the ceiling (if you are in the basement, this will be under the first floor of your house. If you are on the first floor, this will be the bottom of the second floor). You should see long supports running the entire length of the ceiling, which are called floor transoms because they support the floor of the room above you. If any such crossbar meets a wall or main load-bearing beam at right angles, it transfers the weight of the upper floor to the wall, which means that the wall is load-bearing and, accordingly, cannot be demolished.
- Again, due to the fact that most of the beams supporting the walls are covered with trim, they will not be visible. To determine if any floor beams are perpendicular to a particular wall, you may need to remove some of the floorboards one floor above the wall so you can see down on their supports.
Review interior walls the whole structure. Starting in the basement (or, if you don't have one, on the ground floor), locate the inner walls, which, as you might have guessed, are the walls within the boundaries of your four outer walls. Trace each interior wall across all floors of your home — in other words, pinpoint exactly where the wall is in relation to the bottom floor, then go upstairs to see if the wall goes through two floors. Pay attention to what is directly above the wall. If there is another wall on top, a floor with perpendicular beams, or another heavy structure, then it is probably a load-bearing wall.
- However, if there is an unfinished room, for example, an empty attic, and not an entire floor, most likely the wall is not heavily loaded.
Check the interior walls around the center of the house. How more house, the further apart its load-bearing walls will be, and therefore the more internal load-bearing walls you will need to support the floor. Often these internal load-bearing walls are located approximately in the center of the house, as this is the farthest point from any of its external walls. Look for an interior wall that is close to the approximate center of your home. There is a high probability that the wall is load-bearing, especially if it is parallel to the central beams supporting the basement vault.

Look for interior walls with solid edges. Internal load-bearing walls can contain the main beams that support the house. However, due to the fact that the support beams are relatively large in cross-section, in comparison with unloaded beams, the wall itself will often be designed so that the dimensions of the beams will protrude from it. If the inner wall has a large rectangular section or columns protruding beyond its plane at the ends, large supporting beams supporting the building structure may be hidden in them, that is, these are signs of a load-bearing wall.

Look for steel beams or pile joists. Sometimes, rather than relying on load-bearing internal walls, builders use special load-bearing structures, such as steel support beams and pile-beam structures, in order to transfer some of the building's weight to the external walls. In these cases, there is a chance (but not guarantee) that the nearest internal walls will not be load-bearing. Look for signs of large, sturdy wooden or metal structures that cross the ceiling of a room and extend onto a wall known to be structural or external, such as volumetric horizontal protrusions that cross the ceiling. If you see them, the nearest inner walls may not be carriers.
- This method can tell you where curtain walls might be, but you can't be sure without checking the walls themselves. If you are unsure, ask the builder to be sure the house was designed this way.
Look for signs that the house has been remodeled. Many houses, especially old ones, have been changed, expanded and rebuilt several times. If this is the case for your home, the former outer wall can now be the inner wall. If so, the innocent-looking interior wall could be the load-bearing for the original structure. If you have any reason to believe that your home has been seriously altered, the best choice will contact the builder who did it, just to be sure your outer walls really external walls.

Part 2
Explore your building
1. Find the original floor plans if you can access them. Depending on the design of your home, it may be impossible to guess exactly which walls are load-bearing and which are not. In this case, the original drawings or construction plans can be a valuable source. House drawings can tell you where the supporting beams are located, which walls were originally external, and so on. You can use this information to make an informed decision when it comes to structural designation of certain walls.
  - It's not uncommon for a homeowner to own a copy of the original blueprints for their home. Fortunately, you can find them:
    - In the office of the relevant official structures (for example, BTI)
    - For former owners
    - From the original builder and / or contractor
  - After all, you can pay an architect to sketch the blueprints for your house. It can be expensive though.
2. Examine your blueprints. Get hold of the original blueprints for your home and invest the appropriate time to determine if it really is a load-bearing wall that you are not sure about. Look for the landmarks listed above to see if it contains structural load-bearing beam? Are the floor ledgers connected parallel to it? Was she originally outside wall? Never break the integrity of a wall if you are not completely sure that it is not load-bearing, as even expensive, experienced home remodeling experts cannot tell from a visual inspection alone. For more detailed instructions read the wikiHow article How to Read Architectural Drawings.
3. Understand the implications of the changes you make to the building. Usually, the more new things have been introduced into your home design, the more difficult it is to tell which walls are load-bearing and which are not. During house renovation, non-load bearing walls can be made load-bearing (and vice versa). For example, lengthening or trimming ceiling beams, adding stairs, living rooms in the attic, as a rule, makes walls of non-load-bearing load-bearing ones. Take these changes into account when deciding which walls you have supporting: if your drawings show walls that do not exist, or you see walls that were not in the original drawing, you need to find out what changes were made before making your changes.
  - If you are unsure of the history of your home's remodeling, contact the past owner and builders for more information.

Load-bearing wall (fig. 1)- the main carrier-fencing vertical design a building that rests on and transfers to the foundation the load from the floors and the own weight of the wall, separating adjacent rooms in the building and protecting them from impact external environment.

Self-supporting wall (fig. 2)- external enclosing vertical structure that protects indoor spaces buildings from the influence of the external environment, which rests on and transfers the load from its own weight to the foundation.

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

Curtain wall (fig. 3)- an external wall resting on a ceiling within one floor with a floor height of no more than 6 m. (at a higher floor height, these walls are self-supporting) and protecting the building from the outside from the external environment.

Partition- an internal vertical curtain wall that rests on the ceiling and separates adjacent rooms in the building.

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

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

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

Fig. 3. Curtain wall (outside wall rests on the floor slab)

Walls for different constructive purposes are different load... To provide the necessary bearing capacity for different walls, a certain wall thickness and the strength of the materials used are chosen.

For example, it is recommended to make internal and external load-bearing walls of buildings from aerated concrete blocks up to 3 floors in height from blocks of compressive strength classes not lower than B2.5, glue or mortar 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 with a height of up to 3 floors, the class of blocks must be at least B2.

How to determine if a wall is load-bearing

Many people, wishing to make their apartment more spacious, more comfortable or more functional, decide to arrange a redevelopment. This is a serious decision and therefore requires a serious approach. It is not enough just to 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 to demolish them, so that this does not lead to a violation of the strength of the building and does not endanger its inhabitants. And to carry out the work, it is better to contact a specialized organization that is engaged in diamond cutting of concrete. In any case, redevelopment must be agreed with the authority local government... For spontaneous redevelopment, an administrative penalty is provided.

So. How to determine 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 kind of load it carries. Load-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 can be an architectural and construction plan of a working design for a building or floor plan from the passport of the BTI. Unfortunately, there is no standard for the designation of load-bearing walls on a plan. For example, in the architectural and construction plan, the bearing walls are highlighted with a separate hatching, and on the BTI plan, with thicker lines, but not always. A wall can be marked with a thin line and at the same time be a load-bearing.

Defining Structural Walls by Thickness

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

Load-bearing walls in a brick house

Wall thickness in brick houses 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. Mostly in brick residential buildings internal partitions are made of bricks or gypsum concrete panels 80 or 120 mm thick. Dividing walls 250 mm thick made of bricks or 200 mm made of double panels with air gap. Bearing walls in a brick house have a thickness of 380 mm.

Majority brick houses built on type series- these are the so-called "Stalin" and "Khrushchev". 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 and, in general, are also load-bearing.

Also, the bearing walls are the walls on which the floor slabs are supported (short side). These are usually longitudinal load-bearing walls. There is an option when the floor slab rests on reinforced concrete beam rectangular section... Which, in turn, rests on load-bearing walls or brick pillars... Under the beams, inter-room or inter-apartment partitions are usually installed.

Bearing walls in a panel house

V panel houses the thickness of the internal partitions ranges from 80 mm to 120 mm, made of gypsum concrete panels. And, the 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 ones 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 monolithic house

With load-bearing walls in a monolithic house, not everything is clear. It is not always possible to determine 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 is 200, 250, 300 mm. The diameter of the bearing columns can be over 300 mm. The thickness of internal walls, usually made of aerated concrete blocks, is 200 mm or more. In this way, the thickness of non-load-bearing partitions is less than 200 mm... However, the converse 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 of design organizations to carry out engineering survey... Most often this is necessary in the case of an atypical construction, a building on 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 pillars of the entire structure. After all, it is on them that the whole frame rests. Therefore, a 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 just make a niche, then you need to immediately contact the professionals.

It doesn't matter how much work you need to do, even if you want to make a recess in the wall for everything, it is very important to adhere to the advice and opinion of professionals.

Redevelopment start

Everyone knows that load-bearing walls cannot be demolished and broken. But sometimes redevelopment requires exactly this. 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 write you an 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 the 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 himself determine which walls of the apartment are load-bearing, in order to think over the future redevelopment in advance, and after receiving the official results, simply correct it in accordance with safety requirements.

Having decided to start repairing and rebuilding load-bearing walls, or making arches (see.Arch in the apartment: reincarnation into decorative structure) or doors, you need to decide how much to actually do it. And to understand which walls in the apartment are load-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 are bearing structures in principle in all buildings. It is the walls, not the 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 they are the pillars of the entire building. They carry the weight of both the roof and ceiling.

How to determine load-bearing wall

The walls of houses and apartments perform different functions and experience unequal stress. Bearing walls take on not only their own weight, but also the weight of the ceiling. Having conceived overhaul associated with redevelopment, you just need to know how to define a load-bearing wall.

The load-bearing wall is installed perpendicular to the slab, which rests on it. That is, the slab lies with its short side on the wall, giving it a significant part of its mass. Structures do not always use load-bearing walls. 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.

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 different holes, do not conduct yourself without professional skills. About arches. doorways, extended sections or partial demolition and speech is 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. This wall is marked on it quite clearly. The plan can be found in the local executive committee in the capital construction management department. You can also use detailed plan apartments located in the house book or data sheet. But in this case, the owner must have some building experience and drawing skills.

You can also look at such a plan together with the 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, under no circumstances touch the wall, as this can be very expensive.

Brick load-bearing wall thickness

If it is impossible to get the plan, we will determine the load-bearing wall by characteristic features... The location of a wall can tell a lot about its purpose. The walls facing the staircase hall, as well as the inner walls bordering the neighbors' apartment, are load-bearing. In addition, some exterior 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 define such a wall is to pay attention to its thickness. If the 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 about this in more detail.

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 masonry of three bricks, in which there are two joints (12 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 12 = 38). 51 cm - 4-brickwork; 64 cm - 5-brick, etc. Interior walls are 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 layout will help determine the load-bearing wall.

Panel houses

Bearing walls in a panel house

In a panel or block house, it is very difficult to realize your own construction ideas, 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, you need to turn to competent people for help, who will make a conclusion, relying on architectural project building. They will decide whether it is possible to carry out further work 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 building frame, 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, to determine the load-bearing wall, it is not enough to be guided by the same dimensions. Simple partition in a monolithic house it can be thicker than 20 cm. And there are houses where there are no load-bearing walls at all. Reliable columns are used instead. Therefore, a building plan and a drawing can serve as help. If for some reason they are not available, in this case, you cannot do without the verdict of authorized persons.

Permission from the relevant authorities.

Many do not want to mess with officials and prefer to solve such important questions on one's own. But this is fraught with gross mistakes. Do not be afraid to call specialists into your home for consultation and obtaining permission. Moreover, if you find the slightest cracks, damp or crumbling area on the wall, even if not bearing, invite an inspector who will assess the degree of damage and give advice.

Note! Any redevelopment, regardless of the type of apartment, be it a Khrushchev or a cottage house, requires the consent and written permission of the BTI or other relevant government services. Structural work, even if done by a professional, also requires a permit.

If, nevertheless, it is necessary to carry out some dismantling work of load-bearing walls, they should be performed by a competent specialist who knows how to install temporary columns that take 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! An apartment with illegal redevelopment cannot be sold, and it will be very difficult and problematic to get a project for an already converted apartment.

Do not think that the planned work is insignificant, and it is not worth calling the team. The slightest mistake can cost the lives of many people, because an imperceptible microcrack in the load-bearing wall can eventually lead to the collapse of the building.

Work carried out on load-bearing walls

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

When deciding 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 there is wiring hidden inside the wall. which, if the room is not de-energized, can damage the power supply system and injure 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 unsupported.

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

Find more tips below:

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

What is redevelopment? According to the housing code, this concept includes all changes in the configuration of the apartment, which require their inclusion in the technical passport. This:

changing the location of load-bearing walls and partitions,
transfer of openings of windows and doors,
re-equipment of vestibules and dark storerooms,
arrangement of internal,
re-equipment of bathrooms,
separation of large rooms,
expansion of living space at the expense of household premises,
glazing of a balcony or loggia,
replacement gas stoves for electric,
moving a bathroom, kitchen or toilet.

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

What cannot be demolished: load-bearing wall

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

In practice, the main (load-bearing) walls are located perpendicular to the floor beams. If it is executed from concrete slabs, then their ends rest on the surface of the supporting structure. Usually these are walls between apartments and blocks, or outside. As a rule, only partitions are installed inside the apartment.

How to find out which wall is load-bearing?

Can you define the purpose of the wall yourself? Certainly. By its thickness or the material from which it was erected. In panel houses indoor units have a thickness of up to 120 mm. 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, supporting structures have a thickness of 380 mm and more, inter-apartment - 250 mm, and partitions 120 or 80 mm.

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

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

What is needed for demolition?

In any case, before starting work on the demolition of a particular wall and transferring it, 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 erected 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 can put it on sale or the registration of donation documents, etc. But that's not all. Such actions are considered illegal and entail fines, summons to court and may even lead to the confiscation of an apartment.

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

The plan developed by the BTI service specifically for given view redevelopment.
Drawing up a technical opinion for the demolition of the wall.
Obtaining a positive conclusion of the housing inspection at the place of registration.

From the author: hello dear readers. We all love our home anxiously, take care of it, do cosmetic repairs. Sometimes we don't have enough simple finishing works, and we begin to think about the redevelopment of the apartment. It can be of two types: either erection 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 on 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 the room by joining 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 supporting structures, without which the structure will simply collapse. Therefore, you must definitely have information on how to find out whether a load-bearing wall is or not, so that the redevelopment does not lead to huge fines or to tragedy.

And before starting, I want to additionally draw your attention to the following. After redevelopment of an apartment, they usually do redecorating, and, more often than not, on a fairly large scale. Since you are even ready to start demolishing the walls on your own, then you will hardly want to entrust the decoration of the room to outsiders.

What is a "load-bearing wall" and what is it for?

It is called "carrier" precisely because it bears the weight of all that is above. It carries the load from beams, walls, floors, 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, which in this case will have an additional load, to the collapse of the building.

That is why any redevelopment must be previously approved by the BTI. As you can imagine, this is a necessary 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 load-bearing walls in a house?

The easiest way is to get a plan of your house from the Office of Capital Construction (UKS). This useful drawing shows both the load-bearing elements themselves and the floor slabs resting on them. A similar plan can be taken from a house book or a registration certificate, 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 learn from this article. But remember firmly: if there is even the slightest shadow of doubt, then do not try to start redevelopment without official clarification. Any mistake in this matter threatens with very big trouble, and this is at best.

So, to begin with, we denote common features... The load-bearing walls are usually:

delimiting your apartment and neighbors;
separating staircase 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 characteristic of load-bearing walls.

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

Brick

Here, the thickness of the structures we are interested in 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 very 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 with a reinforcement frame that is poured with concrete. In such buildings, the main load usually falls on those walls whose thickness is at least 20 cm.But such structures are usually made according to individual orders, therefore, it is still worth focusing on the plan of the house.

For more precise definition thickness, you must first clean the surface of all decorative layers: plaster, paint, wallpaper and, moreover,. Although the finish does not make such significant adjustments, it can still critically affect the measurement result.

What actions can be taken with load-bearing walls?

As mentioned above, the structure that carries the main load is the foundation of the entire building. Therefore, you need to handle it extremely carefully. To begin with, let's designate those actions that are unacceptable to perform in relation to the load-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.

Yet 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.

In this case, it should be borne in mind that it is possible to do and expand the openings only after official agreement with the administration. And when drilling, you must first determine if there is any wiring inside the wall. Otherwise, you can hit with a drill directly into it, which threatens you with serious injuries, and the apartment - blackout.

How to agree on the redevelopment?

At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that any actions related to changing the layout of an apartment must first be coordinated with the appropriate authorities. As a rule, such issues are dealt with by the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI). Negotiation is required 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. That, 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 both to fines and to the fact that subsequently such an apartment cannot be sold.

At the end of the topic, we suggest you watch the video for greater clarity. Remember that only you are responsible for the actions performed in your apartment. Therefore, take the questions of redevelopment very carefully. Good luck and great achievements in the renovation business!