Opening up two rooms into one is one of the most effective ways to modernise an older home. It can also be one of the riskiest jobs to get wrong. Here’s what’s involved when it’s done properly.
Step 1: Is the wall load-bearing?
Some internal walls simply divide rooms. Others hold up floors, other walls or the roof. You can’t always tell by looking or by knocking on it, so it needs checking by someone who knows what they’re looking for. If there’s any doubt, treat it as load-bearing.
Step 2: Get a structural engineer involved
If the wall is load-bearing, a structural engineer works out what it’s carrying and designs the support to replace it. This is usually a steel beam, sometimes timber or a combination, sitting on “padstones” that spread the load. The engineer provides drawings and calculations.
Step 3: Building Regulations approval
Removing a load-bearing wall needs Building Regulations approval. The engineer’s calculations go to building control, who inspect the work and sign it off. You’ll get a completion certificate at the end, which you’ll need when you sell the house. Planning permission isn’t usually needed for internal changes unless the house is listed.
Step 4: Neighbours and party walls
If the new beam sits on or cuts into a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall Act may mean you need to give them notice before the work starts.
Step 5: The work itself
- Temporary support: adjustable steel props hold everything up safely while the wall comes out.
- Removal: the wall is taken down carefully, with dust sheets and protection for the rest of the house.
- The beam goes in: the new beam is lifted into place on its padstones, checked and packed tight.
- Inspection: building control check the beam before it’s covered up.
- Making good: the beam is boxed in and fire protected where needed, then walls, ceiling and floor are made good ready for decorating.
Things people forget
- Radiators, pipes and cables in the wall will need moving.
- Floors in the two rooms may be at different levels or in different materials.
- Opening up a room can change how warm it feels, so think about heating.
- In some homes, removing walls affects fire escape routes, which building control will look at.
We handle the whole process, from arranging the engineer to building control sign-off, so you’re not coordinating it all yourself. Call us on 07788 975194 to talk it through.