Another question about load-bearing wall or not

[corba11]

Hello everyone.

My first post. We bought a townhouse last week and thought we might as well start with the renovation.
The idea is to extend the kitchen a bit into the living room. To do this, we need to knock down one side of the kitchen entrance.
The pictures show what I want to tear down. It's where I've removed the plaster (left side plus the beam above the opening).
But when I removed the plaster, you can see that there seems to be a beam there.
In another picture, you can see a beam in the living room, and I know that it is load-bearing and runs through the middle of the house. That beam is 100mm, but the "beam" by the kitchen is 45mm, sitting on regular 45x70 studs. Is it safe to take it down, and how many load-bearing beams can there be in a townhouse?
Grateful for responses.

 

[bossespecial]

It is load-bearing, otherwise, they wouldn't have placed a vertical rule over the opening. Since the opening is so small, you don't need a monster of a beam like in the living room.

 

[corba11]

It's load-bearing, otherwise, they wouldn't have placed a standing rule over the opening. Since the opening is so small, you don't need a monster beam like in the living room.

Thanks for the response
so unfortunate. Then we probably can't proceed with wall cabinets on that side of the kitchen.
And we have already ordered the kitchen

 

[bossespecial]

It doesn't have to be so difficult to install a slightly larger beam and extend the opening a bit so that you get it the way you want. However, a construction notification needs to be made for this intervention.

 

[corba11]

It doesn't have to be so difficult to put in a slightly larger beam and extend the opening a bit so that you get it the way you want it. However, a building notification is required for this alteration.

Then we'll have to look into that solution. The idea was to continue with wall cabinets, but it doesn't work when there's a beam in the way.

 

[bossespecial]

Will there be any space between the cabinets and the ceiling? Assuming there's a furnished upper floor above?

 

[corba11]

Will there be any space between the cabinet and the ceiling? I assume there's a finished upper floor above?

Yes, it's true that there's a finished upper floor.
Do you mean in that case that I should continue with the "beam" all the way and then remove the remaining studs?

 

[bossespecial]

Exactly, you replace it with a new longer beam that extends to the wall. It can be in wood or steel. Then you can remove the vertical studs.

 

[BirgitS]

Exactly, that you replace it with a new longer beam that reaches the wall.

Don't you then need a higher and/or wider beam when it is going to be longer?

corba11:
It's also good to keep in mind that any intervention in load-bearing structures means that you need to submit a building notification to the municipality, which normally requires that you can show calculations of dimensions, etc.

 

[bossespecial]

Do you not need to have a higher and/or wider beam when it is going to be longer?

corba11:
Then it's good to keep in mind that any changes to load-bearing structures mean that you need to submit a building notification to the municipality, which normally entails certain requirements to show calculations of dimensions, etc.

You have to calculate it, but it doesn't always mean that the new beam will be significantly bigger.