Hello! After just reading in this excellent forum, it's now time for some questions.
We're in the midst of renovating our old school from 1867. Considering possibly widening the opening by about 70cm, if you place a crowbar between the wall and the floor, the wall moves slightly
, which I interpret as there being no weight on that wall. Just above the section we want to cut out, there's a doorway on the upper floor as well. Unfortunately, there are no drawings available for the building.
Now to the question, cutting out 70cm of such a log wall with these conditions, would it even be noticeable in the structure? Thought I'd start by asking here before we bring someone in to take a closer look.
We're in the midst of renovating our old school from 1867. Considering possibly widening the opening by about 70cm, if you place a crowbar between the wall and the floor, the wall moves slightly
, which I interpret as there being no weight on that wall. Just above the section we want to cut out, there's a doorway on the upper floor as well. Unfortunately, there are no drawings available for the building.Now to the question, cutting out 70cm of such a log wall with these conditions, would it even be noticeable in the structure? Thought I'd start by asking here before we bring someone in to take a closer look.
You should assume that all timber is load-bearing in such a house. That it can move is not unusual and does not mean it is not load-bearing; on the contrary, it means instead that it would need to be supported better so that it does not calf. "Calving" is the term used when timber walls bulge due to inadequate lateral stabilization in relation to the weight that needs to be supported.
