JoeE30

Right i have decided to open up the bathroom and fit a shower cubical, I have a small cupboard that is in the bathroom which i want to clear out, knock down the wall between bathroom and cupboard and fit the shower.

I have took the plaster off the walls and removed the door frame and there is a lental above the door frame...Is it ok to cut/remove the lental to then remove the wall?

The flat i live in has concrete floors and celings and the wall between the cupboard and bathroom is only 3 foot in lenth.

Anyhelp would be appreciated....

TIFF

Lintils are there for a reason, i would leave it mate

capri_neil

ill ask my dad for ya mate, he used to be a qualified bricky/builder.

dickymint

As Tiff says, theres a reason leave it be.

Dickymint

richm

was it previously owned by a vegetarian hippie??

JoeE30

Just gona see what Capri Neil says, but yea im coming round to that way of thinking!

thanks

capri_neil

Dad says

You can take it out as long as the bit off wall or woteva you are doing away with is not supporting anything, he sed put some acro's either side, knock it out and remove the acro's slowly, but its ok to take them out as long as its not load bearing.

hope this helps

JoeE30

Nah just posh builders who didnt wana say "lentaaaaalls".....

TIFF

So basically if you get hit on the head with a ton of rubel, you cant take it out

JoeE30

Neil, Cheers for that...

Is it right then that all doors have "lentals" above them whether they are load bearing or not, just for the simple fact to hold up the brickwork above the wooden door frame?

JoeE30

Tiff, i cee you went to the same diy school as me then.....

TIFF

capri_neil

How old is the flat? year it was built?

Are the walls breeze block or timber?

it all depends how the walls have been constructed!

JoeE30

Flat must be 50's all breeze block walls celing and floor is concrete, the wall has been bodged up, breeze blocks with very little cement between them and above the lental it has a row of broken breeze blocks just kinda wedged in.....

I could get some pics!!!!!

chorton

hi mate. yep you'll finde a lintel above every door and window to hold any brickwork above it. Best bet is to knock a hole in the ceiling and see if its supporting anything. If you can put your hand on top of the wall, I.E. the wall does not support anything, you SHOULD be fine to take it out. You would definately be best to have someone look at it tho(unless you can check the top of the whole wall) as it depends where the wall is! Just cos its small it might bear the weight of ceiling/floor joists running across it!

capri_neil

yeh pics would be a great help for an accurate evaluation.

But before you do anything make sure its not a load bearing wall, if not concrete floors and celing should ok.

But he sed he would want to see pics and he could tell ya mate

JoeE30

Hiya m8, thanks for the advice...I would check the celing above but the floor/celing of the above flat is solid concrete.......

capri_neil

get some pics up, hell ava look for ya

Lee Reynolds

Do NOT remove the lintol until you have found out if it LOAD BEARING.

If it was built in the 50's and has breeze walls, it is highly likely to be load bearing, as non load bearing wall constructed of breeze in that period were just stud walled above the door openings in most cases and not bridged with a lintol/blockwork.

If ya not sure get an expert out ot check. Not only can it fall on ya but you wont be able to sell the flat without evidence of the wall being removed correctly IF it IS load bearing.

Lee..

dickymint

Classic line " take the acro`s out slowly", its the pushing them back bloody quick

which could be the problem.

Dickymint

Lee Reynolds

I thought that myself mate

'' take em out slowly, and if the ceiling starts to cave in, quickly push em back up, then leave em there an paint em the same colour as the walls"

JoeE30

Right here are pics.......







If any more needed or any other area gis a shout

Lee Reynolds

Not much to see from the pics....you need to find out whats above. The only thing i can see is that the lintol is 6 inches deep, and these are used for load bearing walls. If it was non load bearing its more likely to have a 3 inch deep lintol(but thats not to say it wouldnt still be load bearing).

Lee Reynolds

looking at the 3rd pic there seems to be a gap above one of the bricks. Can ya make that bigger and see if theres any walling above that???

TIFF

That socket is a little on the dangerous side too

JoeE30

The only thing above the walls is concrete.









These are of the other side of the lental, which is inside the cupboard....The lental hasnt really got anything between it and the concrete celing above....

JoeE30

Tiff i told ya m8....the diy bodgers diploma...(it aint live)

JoeE30

back to the top with pics

capri_neil

After looking at the photo's my dad suggests that to go for it, acro's either side knock the lintel out then losen the acro's off. you can always put the lintel back in.
If your not confident enough get a builder in to give ya an estimate of the job and see what he says.

Can you stand back and get a broader picture, dunno y he asked but there must be a reason he wants to see it.

JoeE30

here we go...best i can get from the cupboard side as it isnt that deep and i have a poo camera....










Hope you can see from this what you need

capri_neil

He ses go for it mate! That little bit of wall wont be holding nothing up!, we had same kinda thing in our bathroom and a cupboard, were in a house but still.

hit it a few times with a big hammer!

Make sure it dosent drop on ya toes!!

Hope this helps

neil

Lee Reynolds

As there looks to be no mortar between the top of the bricks and the concrete ceiling id say it isnt supporting....Just be careful. Ya dont need acros if it aint supporting, get it knocked out by the looks of those pics m8

JoeE30

thanks for that lads i owe ya!

If we ever at a show or anything like that i will buy you both a large drink!!!!!

Neil, say thanks to ya dad for me please and tell him i owe him a few as well....

Well appreciated

Lee Reynolds

LOL no worries mate,,just be carefull. If the flat above ya come tumbling down ill say someone logged into my account

Mr C

iTrader: (2)

That row of pigs above the door are litterally only there to hold the plaster on. The concrete ceilings and floors will be supported at each end and are likely to be pre-cast items span across two 9inch +walls rather than cast in situ. A 4.5" internal wall wont be holding up your above neighbours floor in this case so no worry there. If there was a pitched roof above you I would check the loft space for a fire break deviding wall and or support wall for a perling but as you state it is a slab above enjoy your destruction.
No planning required

Lee Reynolds

MR c it was built in the 50's. A LOT of floors were cast in situ then unlike bison beams nowadays.....

But looking at those photos id deffo say not load bearing.

Mr C

iTrader: (2)