The bearing wall or the main one is such a structure that bears not only its weight, but also the weight of all the higher structures located on it. There are also non-bearing walls. They are also called self-supporting. These include all interior partitions that do not experience any load, except their own weight. External walls of a house are usually load-bearing. They have a ceiling and a roof, if it is a one-story house, or the next floors.
Capital Wall Feature
The main wall is an element that is characterized by increased thickness compared to interior partitions. The partition can be made of light and thin materials. And the thickness of the capital wall is needed in order to withstand large physical loads.
Classification
There are external and internal capital walls. External include elements that separate the interior of the building from the street. Internal walls include walls inside the building, which are involved in the distribution of load from higher elements. In addition to walls, there is another kind of load-bearing structures - columns. They are erected in order to more evenly distribute the load on the walls. They are usually used in rooms with a large area where it is necessary to maintain the ceiling and at the same time take up minimal space. In modern construction, this element is often used.
Capital walls can be divided into groups according to the material of manufacture:
- Monolithic concrete walls. They have maximum strength and high technological complexity in the construction. They retain heat poorly due to their low thermal insulation ability. Used in high-rise construction.
- Brick walls. They have high strength and high labor costs during construction. They are used in the construction of both high-rise and low-rise and one-story structures.
- Wooden walls. They have sufficient mechanical strength and low labor costs for the construction. They have very high thermal insulation performance. They are used to create multi-story and single-story structures.
- Monolithic walls made of expanded clay, wood concrete, cinder concrete. They have sufficient strength. Show high rates of thermal insulation. They have average indicators for the complexity and speed of construction. Find application in low-rise construction.
- Block walls of aerated concrete and foam concrete. They have a low bearing capacity. In view of this, it is recommended to reinforce them with a reinforced belt before mounting rafters and ceilings on them. Used in the construction of low-rise structures.
Requirements
Capital walls, regardless of the material of manufacture, have a large number of requirements:
- The main wall is a reliable design. It must be strong and durable. It should also be located on a stable foundation, as it is the pillar of the building. It accounts for all the weight from the ceiling and roof.
- Walls must meet all safety requirements, in particular, comply with fire safety standards. Otherwise, there is a great risk of fire on the wall and, as a result, the rapid destruction by fire of the entire structure.
- Walls must provide reliable sound insulation. If this factor is not taken into account, then in the future residents will have a lot of inconvenience due to street noise.
- When erecting external capital walls, it is necessary to take into account the thermal insulation properties of the material. If the insulation is insufficient, then the heat will quickly leave the building. Accordingly, heating costs will increase very much.
Characteristics of internal load-bearing walls
The location and size of the main walls can vary greatly. If everything is more or less clear with external ones, then a lot of questions arise about internal ones.
If the room is located in a brick building, then all walls more than 38 centimeters in thickness will be capital. Often, these are all the external and internal walls that extend along the length of the building. The transverse walls between the apartments, as well as separating the stairwell, are also considered capital. Walls in one brick and gypsum partitions do not belong to the bearing.
In panel buildings, the load is distributed over a large number of walls. Bearing in such buildings include all of the above, as well as monolithic walls with a thickness of 14, 18 and 20 centimeters. They are usually located perpendicular to the facades. In such houses there are walls with a thickness of 8, 10 and 12 centimeters. They have no bearing properties and are gypsum concrete partitions.
Redevelopment of interior walls
Very often, residents of apartment buildings seek to redevelop. And, as a result, they begin to look for these very bearing elements in their apartment. To understand which capital walls are in the room, and which are just partitions, just familiarize yourself with the plan of the house or floor on which the property is located. Everything is clearly and in detail painted there.
If for some reason this is not in the plan, it is best to consult a specialist. They will carry out all the necessary research and not only determine where and which walls are located, but will also help in the preparation of papers for registration of redevelopment.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that initially it is necessary to collect all the necessary permits and technical conclusions. Only after this can you begin to make changes to the supporting structures of your apartment. In no case should you act in the reverse order. If you first tear down the main wall or make an opening in it, and then just think about legitimizing the alteration, you will gain a lot of problems.
In brick and panel houses, redevelopment has its own characteristics. In a brick building, making it is much easier than in a panel building. Especially if it’s not about demolishing the entire wall, but about creating an opening. It should be borne in mind that it will be necessary to order costly calculations to strengthen it with a detailed description of all nodes.
If we consider redevelopment in a panel structure, then it is extremely difficult to implement. Although, in practice, it is possible for owners of apartments on the upper floors. On the top floor of panel houses, demolition of individual load-bearing walls is permitted under certain conditions.
Interestingly, in a frame monolithic building there may not even be a single capital wall.
The consequences of unauthorized demolition of the capital wall in the apartment
The smallest problem is that you cannot carry out any legal procedure: either sell, inherit, or re-register an apartment with an unlawful redevelopment. The most dangerous - they can collapse the ceilings and bury under themselves all who will be inside at that moment. If such an apartment is located in the lower part of the building, then all the apartments located above it will most likely collapse.
Any redevelopment must be agreed with the relevant authorities. However, such an event will be expensive and will take a long time, due to the large number of approvals. The main wall is not an element that can be removed or remade at will.