Load-bearing walls are called that because they bear the load from the floors, upper floors and roof. It can be very significant, so any violation of the integrity of the structure leads to the risk of the building collapsing or being declared unsafe. For this reason, an opening in a load-bearing wall cannot be made without first strengthening it, and in most cases it is generally prohibited by law and construction standards, especially when it comes to multi-story buildings.
Cutting an opening in the outer wall of a private house Source almaznoe-burenie-moskva.ru
When should it be strengthened?
There are many reasons to renovate reinforced doors.
The most common ones are:
- Changing the plan of a house or apartment, in which a new door appears in the supporting structure.
- Complete dismantling and replacement of the door frame.
- The appearance of cracks, chips, and various damages on the wall.
- Shedding of walls, particularly bricks and cement.
Many property owners, during major renovations, immediately think about strengthening holes in load-bearing walls. In this way, you can avoid many problems that can later spoil the repairs made, such as the appearance of cracks and crumbling of the wall.
Strengthening methods
To strengthen the door structure, the following products can be used:
- channels , which are used to achieve a binding effect and tighten the structure;
- corners _ They can be secured using anchors or cross plates. And they increase the reliability of the structure due to the contour effect;
- metal frames that are fixed at each corner of the opening;
- reinforced concrete lintels . This material strengthens the supporting function well, but is not suitable for small rooms, as it is voluminous.
The most expensive way to reinforce holes in a wall is to install a metal frame. However, sometimes this is the only possible way to avoid wall deformation.
For a panel or monolithic house, the best option is to install channels. This method will reliably strengthen the structure. In addition, it is much easier to carry out this kind of work than installing an entire opening frame.
Strengthening instructions
Regardless of the type of materials used, strengthening the doorway takes place in three stages:
- Applying markings to the wall.
- Installation of fixing fasteners for the future design.
- Placing a support frame on them.
In addition, before starting work, measurements of the doorway are taken.
Rectangular areas are easier to strengthen, since for round or arched openings it is necessary to weld a fastening frame of an unusual shape that follows the bend of the wall.
Wall marking
The marking is applied along the entire perimeter of the hole in the wall. It is necessary to remove the places where the fasteners will be installed. It is important that they have the same height on each side of the door, since without this it will not be possible to create an even frame.
Installation of fasteners
Before installing the fastening part of the structure, it is necessary to make holes in the wall niche, into which the fasteners will be placed. Then the fasteners are placed in the wall and secured depending on the selected type of product.
Installation of the structure frame
After the fasteners are installed, all that remains is to secure the frame. Work at this stage depends on the choice of reinforcement. For example, the channels are tightened with special pins, and the metal frame is welded onto the fastening points.
What are the difficulties?
An opening can be made in an iron-concrete floor, if the design of the floor itself allows it. In other words, if this is an old house, where the ceiling slabs are narrow and long, then creating an opening will be almost impossible, since an opening of this size will disrupt the design of the slab, and it will have to be strengthened in such a way that, firstly, this will not be agreed upon in the redevelopment, and secondly , this will become very costly.
But in houses with monolithic floors, just now everyone is making openings to accommodate stairs, when creating a transition in two-story or more apartments and private houses. You can even place an elevator in such an opening.
Technically, it is necessary to ensure that the cut part of the slab is supported from below, and then we cut or saw out, drill around the perimeter, and lower the fragment of the ceiling down. Next, we chop it up and take out the trash.
Openings can be of various shapes and sizes.
In some cases, significant strengthening of structures with rolled metal is required.
Special diamond circular saws are used for cutting concrete. You can also use other available tools (a professional large grinder with two handles). Cooling is required during the cutting process.
This video demonstrates stationary cutting of concrete, when the saw is fixedly fixed on the floor of the ceiling using a special frame.
The second video shows a device for drilling holes in the ceiling; there is also reinforcement inside the ceiling..
If the reinforced concrete floor does not have a stiffener rib or the next level, or something heavy is not installed on the floor slab, then you can make an opening, there will be nothing wrong with it, but you must also remember that the reinforced concrete floor itself remains in place as long as there are ribs rigidity or reinforcement in it, if the structure is damaged, the slab may collapse, and even after the opening is made, this ceiling cannot be loaded in other places.
So, for example, if you make an opening in the ceiling a-1 or a-2 from one side to the other, the slab will collapse, the same can happen with slabs a-3 and a-4 if you cut off the stiffening ribs.
The opening itself can be cut in two ways:
- Drilling through holes along the contour of the opening a few millimeters apart.
- Cut the opening using a diamond blade.
I like the second option better, since the edges are initially smooth and do not require further processing.
And now ATTENTION!
When you cut an opening, it will fall from a height of at least 1.8 meters, and this is fraught with destruction in the house, since the opening will be very heavy, because it is made of concrete and metal structures. Therefore, before cutting the opening, it is necessary to ensure safety so that the cut piece does not fall.
An opening in a reinforced concrete floor can only be made if you have some experience in construction and have coordinated this type of work with the competent authorities, since during the manufacture of the opening you will weaken the reinforced concrete slab, which can lead to the collapse of the rest of the slab or the destruction of the room, and this can cause damage to health people and even death. Therefore, you should not do this work yourself; use the help of specially trained people with a license (permit) to perform this type of work!
Tips and lifehacks
The process of strengthening the wall can be simplified using the following tips:
- You can use a laser level to level the wall on both sides. This tool allows you to achieve maximum accuracy.
- Brick walls cannot be tapped. It is better to use diamond drilling. This method will allow you to quickly and easily make holes in the wall, as well as reduce the amount of dust and noise.
- In brick houses, before carrying out strengthening work, it is necessary to install a temporary support in the opening.
Before carrying out work, it is necessary to select the correct type of fastenings.
The way work is carried out is influenced by a large number of factors, including:
- the year the house was built (age) and the material from which it was built;
- technical condition of the walls (presence of cracks and chips);
- the budget that the property owner is counting on.
The use of channels and corners are the simplest options for strengthening a doorway, however, they are not highly durable compared to creating a full-fledged supporting frame.
Mistakes a newbie can make
There are a large number of stages of work where an inexperienced worker can make a mistake. This often happens when determining the planting depth of the canvas, choosing fasteners, as well as when sealing plastic windows. In order for new window frames to last for a long time, it is necessary to take into account some features:
installation with glazing beads outward is not carried out, since this negatively affects the safety of the structure - such a canvas can be easily dismantled from the street; It is worth paying attention to the depth of the frame - an incorrectly positioned canvas can let in cold air or extraneous noise from the street; leveling the structure is a mandatory stage of installation - if installed incorrectly, the process of opening or closing the glass unit will be disrupted; polyurethane foam must be protected from UV radiation, otherwise it loses its properties and cracks, which breaks the seal; The structure must be secured not only with polyurethane foam - anchor bolts are used to securely fix the canvas.
If you follow the technology for preparing the window opening, the seating depth of the canvas and other installation rules, you will be able to install the structure yourself without fear for the result.
Features of amplification in various homes
The material of the walls in which the door is located plays an important role in strengthening the doorway:
- In panel houses, it is enough to install edging from channels or corners. Panel walls are considered the strongest and safest and rarely collapse.
- The walls of a monolithic house require delicate chipping without making major changes to the wall structure.
- Owners of brick houses should refuse to use corners, or their dimensions should be at least 100/63/8 cm. This size is not suitable for every door.
The need to strengthen openings also depends on the floor. For example, on the lower floors of a tall building, the likelihood of a wall collapsing is much higher. Residents of the lower floors do not approve of any layout changes that affect the load-bearing wall.
Doorways in a load-bearing wall certainly require high-quality reinforcement. This is especially true in cases where, during renovations, a new door appears in a load-bearing wall. With each new opening, the wall loses its strength, threatening the reliability of the entire building.
Project approval
Any structure, even a very simple one at first glance, may require a fairly serious approach in the redevelopment process. Only a competent person from a design organization with an engineering and technical education can effectively help in resolving issues of changing living space.
All unauthorized changes to the layout of housing are strictly suppressed by architectural authorities, and every prohibition from these authorities will have to be taken into account when drawing up the project. The final decision regarding the desired changes can only be made by design organizations that have permission to inspect structures and issue technical opinions.
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Questions and answers
Why can't a brick wall be tiled?
Brick walls crumble easily. When chipping, pieces of mortar may break off or even parts of the brick may fall out.
Why is it important to strengthen the wall?
Any violation of the integrity of load-bearing walls can lead to serious consequences, including the collapse of the entire building. In addition, cracks in the wall can ruin the repair.
In what cases does strengthening doorways require approval from the housing inspection?
In case of large-scale work related to the redevelopment of the premises. Example: creating an additional doorway.
How is the approval process carried out?
After submitting a work plan, a specialist engineer studies the house design and makes a decision. Complete demolition of a load-bearing wall is not approved. Attention is paid to maintaining the strength of the walls.
Which walls are most likely to collapse and which are the most resilient?
Brick walls are susceptible to collapse, as this material crumbles easily. Panel houses are considered to be very strong.
What are the dangers of an uncoordinated opening in a load-bearing wall?
To ensure that the “adjustments” made to the housing do not become a reason for trouble, you need to remember that the approval of redevelopment must be carried out legally. The presence of permission for redevelopment serves as a guarantee that the changes made do not pose a threat to the safety of residents and to the integrity of the entire house.
Any reconstruction without obtaining the appropriate consent is unauthorized. For such actions a fine of up to 2500 rubles is provided. In this case, the owner of the property undertakes to legitimize the changes made. In addition to fines, the owner of the property may be required to return the premises to their previous appearance. In case of refusal by a court verdict, the residential premises are put up for sale at auction.
Unapproved reconstruction in a non-privatized apartment becomes an obstacle to privatization; such housing cannot be mortgaged or sold through a mortgage. It should be added here that such housing significantly loses value when sold, since the buyer will be obliged to legalize unauthorized redevelopment.
The approval process is not an easy procedure, taking a lot of time to collect a large number of documents. Therefore, it is recommended to legitimize replanning in advance; this is beneficial, both financially and morally. Agreed changes will allow the home owner not to worry about problems associated with possible violations of the law.
