Hello!
We have a school building from 1912 that has been partially renovated inside.
We are considering making the kitchen a bit larger and need to remove a wall that leads to a small washroom. That wall was added in the 2000s. Is it safe to remove such a wall, or do we need to consult someone knowledgeable in construction?
If you mean it concerns the faint lines, those walls seem to have been added later and were not there previously, nor did they replace any previous wall. In that case, they are not load-bearing. But generally, it's difficult to know what is load-bearing and stabilizing in houses from that time.
Do you have any older plans or pictures you can compare with?
Thank you for the reply!
Unfortunately, there are only drawings from the renovation around the year 2000. The faint lines are what I want to remove, that's correct. Actually, just one side of the doorway.
It is not load-bearing partly due to the weak studs but also because the ceiling gypsum board goes over the wall, meaning it was added later. However, the drop ceiling is likely attached to the wall. If you are unsure, saw carefully to feel if it pinches.
A load-bearing wall is always installed BEFORE the ceiling.
The load-bearing walls are also clearly drawn on the blueprint, so the fact that it is in pencil is also a clear sign.
