Removing load bearing walls

Internal / external walls have a number of functions, some are fundamental to the structure of the house, some offer fire protection to the stairway and others merely divide up the space within the house and can be altered or removed with very few issues. Load bearing walls are fundamental to the structure of the house and careful consideration needs to be given before they can be altered or removed. Alteration or removal of load bearing walls requires building regulations consent. Generally speaking a structural engineer will not be involved if the alterations are straight forward (Normally simply supported beams with a span of up to 4 metres.) If required for more complicated projects an independent  structural engineer should be employed who will consider what loads the wall is taking and will design a beam and, if necessary, other supporting structure to ensure that the loads the wall.

Any structural design required will need to be submitted to assessed by the Local Authority and it is recommend that works do not start until the works are approved Most home improvement projects that involve any substantial alterations will be covered by the building regulations. This section sets out to explain how the building regulations affect some of the projects that you may be considering. Your local authority building control team will then inspect the work as it progresses and issue a certificate upon completion to show that the work complied with the building regulations.

The walls around your staircase offer you some protection to allow you to escape in the event of a fire and so any alteration of these walls also requires building regulations consent. If these walls are removed it is essential that your house is fitted with adequate smoke detection and that all of your rooms have windows suitable for fire escape purposes. If you are looking to remove one of these walls, a building control body can establish whether the walls are essential to the fire protection within your house and advise what, if any, additional work is required to allow the alterations to take place.