Load-bearing wall or not in a condominium?

[Niclas Davidsson]

Hello,

I am planning to buy a condominium and am considering renovation, especially changing the layout. What I'm wondering is if the wall that the green arrow is pointing to is a load-bearing wall or not? The red rectangle marks which condominium in the building it concerns.
Thanks in advance.

/Niclas

 

[TypRätt]

Probably not, but it's hard to say. Older houses shift, and if it's a wooden frame, loads might have changed. Someone might have demolished something else, so even something that wasn't directly load-bearing initially might now be supporting a floor joist or something. What is the material in the wall?

 

[BirgitS]

Is there a legend included in the drawing you uploaded?
There is usually something that explains what the dotted walls, like the apartment-separating walls, are made of, for example.

 

[Niclas Davidsson]

Is there a legend included in the drawing you uploaded? There is usually something that indicates what dotted walls, like the apartment-separating walls, are made of, for example.

I understand what you mean but unfortunately, I haven't found such an explanation in the drawings I've acquired. I'm going to another viewing on Monday and will investigate a bit about the material in both the interior walls and the apartment-separating walls.

 

[Niclas Davidsson]

Probably not, but it's hard to say. Older houses shift, and if it's a wooden frame, loads may have changed. Someone might have torn down something else, so even something that wasn't originally load-bearing might now be supporting a floor joist or similar. What material is the wall made of?

Thanks for the answer. I'm going to a viewing this Monday, so I'll check the material in the walls then and also look at how thick the wall is. But at least it looks thinner in the plans compared to the exterior walls. Is there anything specific I should look for to get a clearer picture if it's a load-bearing wall or not while I'm there?

 

[pjkw]

Check the plans for other floors, load-bearing walls often go through the entire building, so if there is no corresponding wall in the basement, for example, it is more likely not a load-bearing wall.

 

[Niclas Davidsson]

Check plans on other floors, load-bearing walls often run through the entire property so if there's no corresponding wall in the basement, for example, it's more likely not a load-bearing wall.

Here is the plan for both the basement and the apartment's floor, and in the basement it doesn't seem like this wall exists. Should be a good sign?

 

[Liljeros]

Expect the wall to be load-bearing; walls that run over longer distances in apartments often have some type of load-bearing function. It's not all about supporting an overlying floor but can also be to stabilize the house for, for example, wind loads, etc.

In any case, you can't just tear down the wall and should not do it either; all serious housing cooperatives will require an assessment from a structural engineer and in some cases also that you bring in a project manager chosen by the cooperative to ensure that everything is done correctly by the builder you hire for the work...

 

[Albans doktor]

Ask the board if they have k-drawings of the house to start with. If the association doesn't have them, the municipality usually has such stored and you can request it from them if so.