interior wall load bearing (stairs)

[garyc2011]

Hi All,

I am hoping for some advice please...

I am doing up a small terrace house and was hoping to bend your ears, downstairs there is a living room and a small kitchen with stairs dividing the two.

What i would like to know is if the wall (with the visible brick) separating the stairs and the kitchen a load bearing wall... there is a wall above it and the wall on the left of the stairs is much thicker? would like to knock it down so you can see the stairs from the kitchen an make it a little bigger...



Any advice is welcome just thought I would ask you guys before getting someone out to look at it.

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• garyc2011
• 11 Nov 2011
• 1

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• garyc2011
• 11 Nov 2011
• 1

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• garyc2011
• 11 Nov 2011
• 1

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• garyc2011
• 11 Nov 2011
• 1

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• garyc2011
• 11 Nov 2011
• 1

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Its not clear from your description but its likely your proposed plans will not comply with Building Regulations as you will not have a separate means of escape from the rooms upstairs. That is, if there was a fire in the kitchen at night, smoke would flood upstairs and into the hallway leaving no way to escape the fire from the upstairs rooms except through the windows.

 

[garyc2011]

freddymercurystwin thanks for the advice... all in all not a good idea then.

I know my 2 next door neighbours have done it... but the work had been carried out before they bought the properties.

don't fancy climbing out the windows if there is a fire doubt my gut would fit : )


thanks again