On 3 Mar 2006 14:44:10 -0800, wrote:


I would also wonder if you need a struc eng report for that. The q in
my mind would be what is being supported above that 7', is it not just
a case of some wall?


Somewhat sheepishly, I have now to own up to having spent some time
with some graph paper, mapping out what I want the redone kitchen to
look like, only to realise that the wall in question doesn't in fact
go up and become a bedroom wall, but evidently stops at the ceiling of
the ground floor. So it looks like the load-bearing element isn't
necessaarily an issue.

The house is 100yrs old, and it looks like that there were very few
walls going from ground floor to the first floor - just the interior
walls of the front room in fact, as the plans suggest that as with
many Edwardian houses of this type, the 'back' room wan't separated
from by a corridor from the stairs. And the back part of the house had
sequentially a breakfast room/kitchen/pantry/toilet - coalbunker -
washroom/ separated by walls which didn't go up into the first floor.
And above them the back of the first floor has sequentially a
bathroom/toilet/bedroom3/bedroom4 all separated by walls built on
(presumably) joists rather than coming from the floor below.

However, as there has already been a wall removed (between the kitchen
and breakfast room), and two chimneys have been removed on the ground
floor, but remain on the first floor and go up to full chimney posts
on the roof, I'll go ahead with the engineer, just to be on the safe
side.

Mark