knocking out an internal wall. Pretty sure its load bearing

thehamo

as the title suggests, bought a house and will need to knock out a wall. Were trying to keep costs to a minimum so was just wondering how to knock out a load bearing wall and get an rsj put in. Should I leave it to the pro's? I also need to get a solid concrete chimney breast taken out which I know is a nightmare as a friend did his recently. (same estate) Took 4 of them 3 days with a kango hammer!

You need a pro for work like that. If you don't know what you are at there's every possibility of literally bringing the house down

dpofloinn

If you are unsure of what to do then its best leave well alone get the professionals in .Building works on that scale especially if its DIY can have major implications on your house insurance not to mention the structural integrity of your house and that of your neighbors if you have them

paddy147

thehamo wrote: »

as the title suggests, bought a house and will need to knock out a wall. Were trying to keep costs to a minimum so was just wondering how to knock out a load bearing wall and get an rsj put in. Should I leave it to the pro's? I also need to get a solid concrete chimney breast taken out which I know is a nightmare as a friend did his recently. (same estate) Took 4 of them 3 days with a kango hammer!

In this situation................YES

ted1

if you are leaving it to the pros, get them to conceal the beam in the ceiling.

I recently got a wall removed adn got the beam concealed in the ceiling and it looks much better than having a box dropping down from the ceiling.

It makes the two rooms run flush with each other, a visible beam always leaves the room looking odd.

cgc5483

What you need first is an engineer to have a look and draw the specs and installation of the RSJ. It's in no way a DIY job to do it properly. Also don't employ any builder who tells you you know need an engineer and "sure I've put in loads of them I know which RSJ to use".

An engineer will have the proper insurance to ensure it's done properly. They will issue a cert of compliance afterwards which you will need if you ever want to sell the house. It's not a small job especially if there's a chimney involved. I assume the chimney stack isn't shared with another house.

Getting the beam flush is a good idea but means you have to prop up through the ceiling so there will be disruption upstairs as well.

deandean

You can DIY but there is a lot of work involved.
Firstly you will need a structural engineer to work out the load on the beam and select an RS J for you.
Then you purchase the RSJ, cut to length, this will be too heavy to put on a roof rack so you'll need a truck or else have it delivered to you.
Then you get four or six acro props and hold up the floors on each side with lots of planks of timber etc
Then you start bashing out the concrete blocks, possibly using a con saw to make the edges clean, while protecting your floor.
Then you level of the top surface and have a suitable seat for the RSJ at each end.
Then you get all your mates over and raise the RSJ into place and pack the floor above.
Then you box in the RS J.
Then you dispose of all the debris.

In other words, don't bother doing it yourself! It's a horrible job that you'll get right on about your third attempt. If your first attempt is on your own house, I recommend you don't even think about it.

Get in a builder who's practised in other people's houses!

Any decent builder should be able to do a good job on this, for a fair price, bearing in mind there is quite a lot of work involved.