Load-bearing wall in extension? Can I move the partition wall one meter sideways?

[Denniis]

Hello!

We have moved into a house that has an extension, but the floor plan doesn't suit us. Currently, there is only a previous opening for a patio door leading to the extension.

There is already a quote for making a larger opening in the old exterior wall, and a carpenter will help with this as we understand it is load-bearing since it's an old exterior wall.

Now my question is if I can take down the partition wall in the extension?
If it matters, we plan to have a new interior wall in the same direction, but 50-100cm to the side.


The trusses on the extension look like this:


Drawings from the building permit:


Is there a way I can check this on my own or is a structural engineer the only option?

 

[BirgitS]

There is already a quote for creating a larger opening in the old exterior wall, and a carpenter will help with this as we understand that it is load-bearing since it is an old exterior wall.

Carpenters are not trained to size beams and columns and check if the foundation can support the weight of the columns. You need a structural engineer who can make the calculations that you probably need to include in your building permit application.

That structural engineer can also see if any reinforcements are needed to move the interior wall and if a building permit is needed for that as well. What you can start with is checking if the beams are spliced over the existing wall.

 

[Denniis]

I have emailed the municipality to check what I need to do, and if they can see from the building permit whether my partition wall is load-bearing or not. But I haven't received a response yet.

The carpenter seemed very sure about what needs to be done, and I felt that there were no issues regarding the outer wall. But of course, I will provide the municipality with what they request.

I will try to check for any joints. If there are no joints, does it suggest that it's not load-bearing then?

 

[BirgitS]

The carpenter seemed very sure of what needs to be done and I felt that there were no issues specifically with the outer wall. But I will, of course, give the municipality what they are asking for

Unfortunately, there are some horror stories in a few threads where carpenters are the ones who have sized beams that do not handle the stresses at all.

I will try to check for any joint. If there is no joint, does that mean it's likely not load-bearing?

In any case, it's the opposite; if it is jointed above the wall, support for the joint must continue, or the floor structure must be redone.