Where to find out which wall is the bearing. How to identify load-bearing walls in Khrushchev and panel houses

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.

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 an apartment: transformation into a decorative structure) or doors, you need to decide how much to actually do this. 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, ceilings, floors are load-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:

Firstly	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.
Secondly	They must be fire-safe and comply with all safety standards.
Thirdly	Walls must have good sound insulation... After all, these are external structures and go out into the street.
Fourth	You now know what a load-bearing wall is, it is in a vertical position. But there is also horizontal pressure on it. After all, floor slabs act not only vertically, but also horizontally as well. Therefore, when making a cut in the wall, this must be taken into account. The photo shows the distribution of the load.

A load-bearing wall is a structure that carries a certain load. Here the thickness parameter is also quite important.

You need to know that the thickness of brick, monolithic external or panel interior walls has its own normative indications, that is, a standard width that always remains unchanged. This criterion greatly simplifies the procedure for defining load-bearing and conventional walls.

Structural Wall Definition Rules

What are the load-bearing walls described above, now let's move on to the question of determining the load-bearing structures. Everything can be understood from the documents, or you can look at it and determine it with your own hands.

So:

The most efficient and correct method - This is the study of the structural plan of the house, where all the walls and their width are indicated. But if you are not an expert in this field, then there may be some problems with reading and correct interpretation... Therefore, entrust this moment to a specialist who is well versed in all the intricacies, and will guarantee the safety of your redevelopment.
Second and no less effective but not like that complex method- This is the definition of load-bearing walls by the location and standard width of the walls. External walls buildings are always load-bearing and retaining walls. In a brick house, all walls that are less than 25 cm wide are the most ordinary walls... They do not carry any strategic burden to the home.

If it comes O monolithic houses, then in this case it is very difficult to determine where which wall is. This is due to the fact that the width of all walls is exactly the same, and it does not matter whether it is a load-bearing wall or not. Therefore, you should refer to the development plan.

What are the methods for determining load-bearing walls

Which walls are bearing in brezhnevka or stalinka is determined in the same way. The definition instructions will be as follows:

Definition according to documents:

Wall thickness as the main indicator

A load-bearing wall is a support, which must have its own thickness. It is regulated by the level of load.

Brick house

For brick house all walls wider than 38 cm will be considered load-bearing.

The very same wall thickness can be determined by the number of bricks that are laid out in a row.

Panel house

For a panel house, walls up to 14 cm thick are characteristic, and those that will be considered more load-bearing.It should be noted that the walls in this type of buildings are almost all load-bearing, therefore, it may be simply unrealistic and not safe to implement the redevelopment into life. type of panel building, the thickness of the walls can be 12 cm.

But how to determine in this case whether the wall is a simple partition or, load-bearing wall.

The answer to this question can only be given by a qualified specialist - an engineer.

Monolithic structure

As for monolithic houses, the load-bearing wall will be considered as such at 20 cm or more.

For such houses, the most the best method find out which walls are load-bearing, there will be a floor plan that the developer should have. Due to the fact that there are many different design options for building, the definition of load-bearing walls becomes much more difficult.
A striking example is this monolithic-frame houses, which may not have load-bearing walls at all, or the partition may be 20 cm wide. This question can only clarify the correct reading of the architectural plan.

Note: It is also very important to remember that wall thickness measurements should only be taken against cleaned walls. That is, before measuring the width of the wall, you need to remove all finishing materials.

The location of the walls will also indicate load-bearing walls.

First of all, load-bearing walls are those that form the main frame of the building. The same type of walls can be attributed to those that are directed towards flight of stairs, as well as interior walls that are in contact with the neighbors' apartment.

After you have established the location of the load-bearing walls, it is very important to remember and know the following nuances:

Firstly, it is categorically contraindicated to completely demolish the load-bearing wall, since the upper floor cannot be without appropriate support.
Secondly, when removing a small part of the wall, you always need to put supports. Such supports can then be decorated with columns or false beams. Such elements can be not only functional, but can become an interesting part of the decor.
Thirdly, if you nevertheless decided to completely demolish the wall, then you should definitely ensure a safe and reliable support... The location of additional supports and their dimensions must be determined by specialists.

There are several nuances in wall measurements, without knowledge of which it is impossible to correctly calculate the width of the wall. And this is fraught with the fact that you can take a curtain wall for a load bearing or vice versa.

The consequences of such an error can be irreversible. Therefore, in order to make measurements as accurately as possible, experts strongly recommend cleaning the walls of all finishing materials... That is, measurements should be made only on previously prepared walls.

As for the definition of load-bearing walls by their location in the room, it must be emphasized that they are always localized perpendicular to the floors. Simply put, floor slabs always lie on load-bearing walls.
As a result, it should be noted that there are many different ways to locate load-bearing partitions, but not everyone can use them correctly. Therefore, it is better to entrust this matter to a qualified specialist, an organization that deals with project activities, it is they who will be able to conduct a high-quality engineering survey of your apartment. If we are talking about an atypical layout or non-standard construction, then you simply cannot do without qualified specialists.

Thus, it is necessary to once again emphasize that it is extremely undesirable to engage in redevelopment, since only a qualified professional in his field can do it as safely, efficiently and quickly as possible. Independent, unskilled redevelopment can be fatal and irreversible not only for your apartment, but for the house as a whole.

What to do if neighbors break the load-bearing wall, here the answer is simple, you must immediately contact the housing office. After all, this can lead to the destruction of the house. After all, the price of the issue is quite high and just not worth looking at. In the video in this article, you can see additional, necessary information.

Today old panel houses still occupy a large share of the housing stock in our country. The inhabitants of the Khrushchevs, constrained by the small area of their apartments, are trying to re-plan their dwelling, combining the rooms into a single space.

Redevelopment is associated with the demolition of fences. Bearing walls in Khrushchev, according to their name, bear the load from the structures of the house.

Thin walls serve as partitions that can be demolished without disturbing bearing capacity the frame of the five-story building. In this article, we will talk about whether it is possible to demolish load-bearing walls in panel houses of old buildings, and how it is best to do it.

What are load-bearing walls

The lower the floor, the thicker the load-bearing wall

If you live in such an apartment, then you can easily determine which walls are load-bearing and which ones serve as partitions. How to identify a load-bearing wall? v panel house Has 5 floors transverse dimension 120 mm or more. The lower the floor, the thicker the walls.

So that you do not suffer from the definition of the main vertical fences, contact the BTI. There you can get a copy of the apartment plan, where you can see the location of the load-bearing walls.

The technical passport also contains a layout drawing. The technical passport is an integral part of the general package of documents for the ownership of housing and must be present with every apartment owner.

Demolition of walls in panel houses

The dismantling of vertical fences is usually caused by the need to combine rooms into one spacious living room or large hall.

There are often options for redeveloping a living space in order to turn an apartment into one common room- studio.

That is, all the walls separating them are being demolished. The bathroom and toilet are combined into a common bathroom.

Dismantling and transfer of partitions

To remove the partition, you will need the following tool:

perforator with attachments;
hammer;
metal wedges;
grinder with abrasive wheel for metal.

Knock down a layer of plaster with a puncher and disassemble the masonry

The demolition of the fence is carried out in several steps:

A perforator with a metal sting knocks down a layer of plaster.
The brickwork is disassembled from top to bottom. With a hammer drill in the mode of a jackhammer, cement joints are broken. The bricks are removed and stacked in the corner of the room.
In order not to cause damage from falling bricks flooring, the floor near the partition is covered with some soft material.
If the partition is folded from a cinder block, perform the same actions.
When monolithic wall knock down concrete, then cut off the reinforcement with an abrasive wheel.
Garbage is removed, bricks and pieces of concrete are taken out.

It is better to make a new partition in another place of drywall, fixed to a frame made of metal profiles.

Demolition of the load-bearing wall

Demolish the walls based on a copy of the apartment plan

Dismantling of load-bearing barriers should be documented.

Otherwise, the landlord may be fined.

And if the demolition entails the destruction of the structures of the house, then they will be subject to criminal punishment.

In order for the demolition of load-bearing structures to become legal, you need to perform a number of actions:

Obtain a copy of the apartment plan from the local branch of the BTI.
Order from a design organization the development of technical documentation for implementation.
Obtain permission from local authorities to carry out work according to the project.
Demolish the fence.
The completion of the work shall be formalized with the appropriate act of acceptance of the work.
On the basis of the act in the registration certificate, make changes to the layout of the apartment.

Dismantling of load-bearing walls is carried out only in accordance with the procedure established by law. Bearing walls in Khrushchevs between apartments are demolished only in one case, when both apartments belong to the same owner.

The technology for dismantling the load-bearing wall in Khrushchev

Variants of load-bearing railing in Khrushchev and other panel houses are carried out in two ways. For more information on how to dismantle walls in Khrushchev, see this video:

Carrying beam insertion

After receiving the permits, the following works are started:

If load-bearing fences are adjacent to the walls on the sides, then in their upper parts under the floor slabs, recesses are made (masonry or concrete is cut down with a jackhammer).
The bottom plane of the cutout must correspond to the calculated bearing area of the girder. The structure of the beam must meet the requirements of the project.
The crossbar is inserted into the side openings. The crossbar can be reinforced concrete or made of a metal I-beam with stiffening ribs.
Metal wedges are driven into the support points of the beam in order to obtain maximum expansion. This achieves a smooth transition of the upper load from the wall to the beam.
They begin to dismantle the masonry or remove the concrete with a jackhammer.
The reinforcement is cut with an abrasive wheel.
After dismantling the walls, they take out the trash and start finishing work.

Installation of vertical supports

Instead of a load-bearing railing, support columns are installed in the corners of the room. In order for the process of transferring the load from the wall to smoothly transfer to the support platforms of the columns, jacks in the form of hydraulic props are used. These jacks can be rented from a construction company. For more information on how to make an opening in a load-bearing wall, see this video:

The order of work is as follows:

jacks in an amount corresponding to the upper floor slabs are placed on both sides of the wall;
Hydraulic props abut the upper platforms against the floor slabs. The load smoothly flows "onto the shoulders" of the jacks;
dismantle the fence;
install supports in the form of columns; support pads are located in the middle of the joining seams of the plates;
when large span overlappings on the columns are laid with a beam.

In order to ensure safety measures, this type of work is admitted to professionals who have documents on the level of qualifications.

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 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 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

In panel houses, the thickness of 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 panels consisting of two reinforced concrete panels thickness from 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 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

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

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, ceilings, floors are load-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 identify a 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 registration certificate. 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 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 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.

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:

Today, very often, when creating an interior design, they resort to redevelopment of the premises. For redevelopment, it is necessary to determine the load-bearing walls and additional partitions located in the apartment. In some rooms, the definition of such walls does not require much effort, in others it can cause certain difficulties. Today, in almost all apartments, load-bearing walls are used in construction, although in some buildings they can be replaced by beams and columns. One of the most affordable and easy ways to determine load-bearing walls is the initial inspection of the apartment plan, which can be found in the data sheet. On the plan, such walls are clearly marked, they often have a certain shading, and their thickness is much greater than the thickness of other partitions. Bearing walls have certain characteristics.

How to determine the load-bearing wall or not?

To determine the load-bearing walls, it is imperative to use the plan. In case of redevelopment, you must contact the specialists for permission to dismantle the partitions.

Even if you plan to move the doorway, you need to have certain documents that must be provided by employees of the BTI or other relevant government agencies... If an unlawful redevelopment has been made in the apartment, it becomes impossible to sell it, and getting 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 the load-bearing wall can affect the entire structure of the building. Carrying out work with load-bearing walls With load-bearing walls, it is possible to carry out some work, however, any actions should be carried out exclusively by competent specialists.

Is it possible to determine the load-bearing wall according to the documents or not?

Important

The structural plan will help to detect not only the load-bearing walls in the house, but also the columns and beams of the post-and-beam system, as well as the floor slabs that rest on them. If for some reason you could not get the structural plan of the building, then we will define the walls by their characteristic features.

Again, you can use a detailed plan of the apartment, which is drawn in the registration certificate or in the house book. But in this case, you will be able to determine the load-bearing walls only if you are not a beginner in construction and planning.

How to identify a load-bearing wall? Which walls are load-bearing can be recognized by: 1. By location. Outdoor self-supporting walls... Walls overlooking the staircase. Internal walls facing the neighboring apartments.

2. By thickness and materials used.

Legend on bti plans

A wall can be marked with a thin line and at the same time be a load-bearing. Determination of load-bearing walls by thickness The second way to find out which wall is load-bearing, by its location and thickness.

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, the internal partitions are made of bricks or gypsum concrete panels with a thickness of 80 or 120 mm. Dividing walls 250 mm thick brick or 200 mm double panels with an air gap.

Attention

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 "Stalin" and "Khrushchev" houses.

How to identify a load-bearing 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 Installing a support during demolition of a load-bearing wall When deciding to carry out work on load-bearing walls, for example, ditching ditches, do it with the utmost care.

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

The thickness of the load-bearing wall can be: Brick load-bearing walls, the thickness of which is more than 38 centimeters. Reinforced concrete panels in panel houses, the thickness of which is not less than 14-20 centimeters. If the house is monolithic, then any wall with a thickness of 20-30 centimeters or more will be considered load-bearing.
3.

By supporting floor slabs and beams. All load-bearing walls should be strictly perpendicular in the arrangement of floor slabs. That is, the slabs must rest on the walls with the short side.

Openings in load-bearing walls After you determine which walls are load-bearing, you realize all the limitations associated with future redevelopment. Such a wall will not allow even an ordinary nail under a picture to be hammered into oneself.
And there is no need to talk about the arrangement of openings, niches, arches and partial demolition.

How to know the load-bearing wall or not

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 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 a reinforced concrete beam of 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. 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, 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.

How to identify load-bearing walls in a room

Load-bearing wall in the house - how to determine which walls are load-bearing? People who are going to redevelop an apartment or house must definitely find out which walls in their home are load-bearing. It is quite simple to determine it on your own, the main thing is to know exactly how to do it.

And in this article I will definitely teach you this. I would like to note that every professional interior designer must know the design features of a house or apartment. If he does not even know how to recognize which walls in the apartment are load-bearing, then this is no longer an interior designer, but an ordinary decorator.

Before we start considering our question, I want to acquaint you with the concept of "load-bearing wall". So, the load-bearing wall is the one that takes on the load of the elements located above it, including beams, floor slabs and walls. Load-bearing walls are not always used in the interior.

How to find out which walls in the apartment are load-bearing?

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 damage the power supply system and cause injury to the worker. If the house is old, there may even be a gas pipe in the wall.

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.
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. As a result, load-bearing walls in a panel house have a thickness of 120 mm.

Load-bearing walls in a monolithic building With load-bearing walls in a monolithic building, 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 a variety of 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 over 300 mm. The thickness of internal walls, usually made of aerated concrete blocks, is 200 mm or more.

Thus, the thickness of the non-load-bearing partitions is less than 200 mm.

How are the bearing walls indicated on the bti plan

How to determine if a wall is load-bearing? It is customary to call load-bearing walls the walls that take on the load from the floors and the 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 a 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 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 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.

Having bought an apartment, people often think about its redevelopment. The same thoughts visit the tenants. small apartments, the so-called "Khrushchev". And if in a private house with redevelopment problems rarely arise, then in an apartment of high-rise buildings, where almost every wall is load-bearing, this will not be easy.

They bear the load from the ceiling and upper floors. Therefore, having conceived to expand the doorway or move the partition, it is necessary to correctly determine which wall is the bearing. The safety of you and your neighbors will depend on this.

How to know if the wall is load-bearing

The easiest way is to look at the project at home. All walls are clearly marked there. The plan should be kept in the city administration, in the capital construction department.

In addition, you can also use the apartment plan, which is located in those. passport or house book. However, for this you need to be able to read the blueprints or have experience in construction.

Video: Olga Rozina: how to define a wall

If the plan cannot be found for some reason, then the purpose can be understood by some characteristic features. So, for example, if there is a neighbor's apartment behind the wall, the entrance or the street are load-bearing.

Another way to find out is by thickness. If you live in a brick house and the thickness of the partition is 38 cm, then it is load-bearing. In the panel, the thickness of the load-bearing walls is 14 cm or more.

In a brick house

In brick houses, the thickness of the outer ones starts from 38 cm, between the apartments from 25 cm, the interior thickness - 8 - 12 cm. The main material for the construction of such houses is silicate and red bricks.

Plaster boards can be used for partitions. Having measured the wall, for example, in the area of the doorway, you can understand whether it is capital or a partition.

However, this method is not suitable for all homes. So, for example, in the 90s, houses were built according to individual projects, so if there is no plan, then only the author of the project can determine.

In the panel

Since the panel house consists almost entirely of carriers, it will be very difficult to implement the planned redevelopment. Load-bearing walls include inter-apartment, external and adjacent to external ones. In addition, the walls of the bathrooms can also be carriers.

Interior partitions are 8 - 10 mm thick. There are partitions and 12 cm each, but this is a rare exception. To determine the purpose of the walls in this case, it is better to contact specialists who will draw a conclusion only after studying design features buildings and decide whether it is possible.

In monolithic houses

A monolithic house is a building whose foundation smoothly merges into the wall. In such buildings, any wall with a thickness of more than 20 cm is load-bearing. Such structures are usually made according to an individual project; it will not be possible to determine with the help of its size.

It so happens that an ordinary interior partition in monolithic buildings is more than 20 cm thick. monolithic houses in which the load-bearing walls are completely absent. They are replaced by reinforced concrete columns.

And in this case, one cannot do without a drawing and a plan. If they are absent, you will have to contact specialized companies.