If you resolve to live more openly this year, then removing an interior wall might be on your agenda. It’s a project that often seems simple enough: grab a sledgehammer and voila, you have a new spacious, beautiful room. But it’s more involved than that.
Depending on what’s inside that wall, and the extent of its structural bearing, removing a wall can be a painless endeavour or a major structural change. Here’s what to consider.
The goal of most wall-removal projects is to connect rooms and create a more open floor plan. Removing an interior wall can also bring more light into space and create a better flow. Creating a pass-through servery or additional seating space is another reason you might want to knock down (or through) a wall.
Who to hire
This depends on the structural bearing of the wall and what’s inside it – plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical wiring, and so on. An experienced builder can do an initial consultation and assess your wall for as little as Kes 20,000.
However, It would be better to hire a structural engineer to visit the home to ascertain works required, as they are also more qualified
Key points to consider:
Removing a wall in a one-storey house is different than in a two-storey house, and the cost can be significantly more in the latter. A two-storey home definitely needs a structural engineer. It’s a major engineering effort to accommodate the stress the second storey will be putting on the other walls.
Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether a wall is a load-bearing or not. Because of this, it’s always best to call in a professional. When removing a wall, you’ll have to consider what’s going to happen to the floor and ceiling. For hardwood floors, it can be difficult to patch between rooms and make them look seamless.
It’s difficult to patch that one missing wall area and make it blend in, whose wall-removal project is shown here. Ideally, you’ll replace the floors to make everything match up.
Although some projects you’ll be able to match the timber pieces, sand the area, and restain it with good results, but not perfect.
Ceilings are another thing to consider. Matching ceilings is fairly easy, but moulding is where it gets tricky. If you have older moulding that you want to keep, it’s going to be difficult to match that with the new space.
Dealing with what’s inside the walls is a major factor in removing a wall. Rerouting wiring, ventilation, and more can make all the difference.
Costs involved
It all depends on the kind of wall, the size of the wall and the spaces on either side and what embedded systems will need rerouting. Labour costs also vary by region.
Whatever your budget, it’s recommended that you add 20% for any unforeseen issues that may be revealed inside the walls.
Length of project
About two weeks, not including putting in flooring and finishing touches on the ceiling.
Is a permit needed?
This will vary from council to council and from wall to wall. The rule of thumb is that if it’s not a structural wall, a permit is not required. Exterior walls can often present a different story though.
Best time to take on this project
If you’re planning to redo your floors, that’s the perfect time to remove a wall. Knocking down (or through) a wall tends to kick up a lot of dust and cause a fair amount of noise, so if you have an opportunity to stay at a hotel or bunker down with friends or relatives, that’s the time to do it.