I have started tearing down the bathroom upstairs that we are going to completely renovate.
When I lifted the floor, I saw that the joist in the floor structure is not continuous; instead, there is a large cement slab in front of the chimney. Probably an oven foundation.
The cement slab connects to the chimney and a narrow support wall (just one row of bricks). The cement slab has no support underneath! Is it hanging freely in the air or how is such a construction usually designed?
Attached are pictures of the bathroom upstairs and the same corner in the kitchen on the lower floor.
How should I proceed when I want to put up joists, install subfloor, and apply floor leveling compound?
Option 1: Keep the cement slab, cut out the subfloor, and level over the cement slab.
Option 2: Break away the cement slab. How do you build up the floor structure then?
I probably would have removed it. I had the same problem at my place. But then the weight from the "cementkakan" had caused the ceiling on the ground floor to sag. You definitely want a completely solid floor in a bathroom, so you don't get cracks and leaks. Will it be a mat or tiles in the bathroom?
The cement slab connects to the chimney and a narrow support wall (just one row of bricks). The cement slab has no support underneath! Is it hanging freely in the air or what does such a construction usually look like?
There are usually large iron bars going into the chimney that support such ledges.
I would probably have removed it. I had the same problem at my place. In my case, the weight from the "cement slab" caused the ceiling on the lower floor to sag. You want the floor to be completely solid in a bathroom to avoid cracks and leaks. Will there be vinyl or tiles in the bathroom?
It seems to be quite sturdy, and I don't see any sagging on the lower floor. The chimney is not in the best condition, and I'm wondering if I might do more harm than good by breaking it away.
The question is also how I would rebuild the floor against the chimney if I were to break it all away.
New floor joists against the chimney? And how do I fasten them in the best way?
Or do I leave an L-shaped edge where I attach the floor chipboard?
If I remove half diagonally, leaving a triangle between the chimney and support wall, it should be better, and the remaining piece would increase the chimney’s torsional rigidity.
The chimney and support wall have enough cracks. Is there a gentle method? Saw it up diagonally?
