Hello forum,
we live in an apartment from the 1920s.
In the main wall, there has been a doorway since the house was built. During a total renovation in the late seventies, however, the doorway was bricked up with a layer of bricks, leaving a small alcove on the backside, about 40 cm deep (we have been to the city planning office and obtained the drawings). Now we want to remove the brick wall to install a door instead and have two questions;
1) Is it really necessary to apply for a building permit for this (we have already talked to the board)?
2) Are there any risks with the mentioned project - our reasoning is that since there has been a doorway for about 60 years, the bricked-up wall itself can hardly be load-bearing at all and should be removable without any need for a support structure?
Very grateful for any answers
we live in an apartment from the 1920s.
In the main wall, there has been a doorway since the house was built. During a total renovation in the late seventies, however, the doorway was bricked up with a layer of bricks, leaving a small alcove on the backside, about 40 cm deep (we have been to the city planning office and obtained the drawings). Now we want to remove the brick wall to install a door instead and have two questions;
1) Is it really necessary to apply for a building permit for this (we have already talked to the board)?
2) Are there any risks with the mentioned project - our reasoning is that since there has been a doorway for about 60 years, the bricked-up wall itself can hardly be load-bearing at all and should be removable without any need for a support structure?
Very grateful for any answers
1) No building notification is needed, just inform the board about what you plan to do.
2) You are absolutely right in your reasoning, no risk with this.
Start second from the top with a stone and scrape out the mortar around it as much as you can reach. Then gently tap on the stone with a mini-sledgehammer until it starts to loosen. Once you've removed the first stone, the others will be very easy to knock out.
2) You are absolutely right in your reasoning, no risk with this.
Start second from the top with a stone and scrape out the mortar around it as much as you can reach. Then gently tap on the stone with a mini-sledgehammer until it starts to loosen. Once you've removed the first stone, the others will be very easy to knock out.