Thanks for the various bits of advice. :lol:
Today, we had an inspection from a structural engineer, as we wanted to take a decision on the decoration before Christmas (was planning to paper the wall on one side during the hols).
He has confirmed that the "first floor internal wall is of, probably pre-war construction in cinder/cementious block with modern plaster finishing coat".
Furthermore, he inspected the wall from the loft area above and concluded "there is no structural connection between the wall and the ceiling rafters above, or indeed the adjoining internal walls which appear to be of older construction". In other words, the block wall is not tied into the other walls or the ceiling. The wall has also just been built straight off the floorboards in what the engineer concluded was previously "one larger first floor room"
As for the ceiling in the drawing room below, "cracking and damage to the cornice is consistent with movement and appears to be recent. It is possible that the addition of central heating has contributed to the cracking through the drying process." Although the central heating was installed over 18 months ago, so i'm not so sure on this...but bow to his experience. Finally, his recommendations "The wall is unsafe due to it's entirely freestanding nature. Secondly the considerable weight of the wall runs parallel to the floor joists, with no support across a large span (apx. 15.8m) in the room beneath. There is evidence of movement in the floor joists, the door frame and cracking in the ceiling directly below the wall which would in our opinion give reasonable cause for concern. We would suggest further, more detailed examination of the floor/ceiling construction in order to reach a final recommendation, however you may wish to consider the re-construction of the internal wall in a more lightweight alternative and the possible installation of additional support for the floor/ceiling."
So........thanks for the advice - it prompted me to seek professional advice before proceeding. He seemed very concerned indeed about the "freestanding nature of the wall" (his words). Although he did a quick inspection of the floor/ceiling joists between 1st and grnd flr, he did suggest a full inspection with all of the boards up before a final report. He did also point out that the room below is a very large one (40ft x 52ft) and that this would result in some rather large spans. The ceilng rose in the room below is apx 4ft in diameter and the chandelier has 36 bulbs (so fairly heavy
). All of these things could contribute to the cracking, but he was very clear that it's position directly beneath the wall above was more than coincidental
Looks like my boys will have to wait for their bedroom
Today, we had an inspection from a structural engineer, as we wanted to take a decision on the decoration before Christmas (was planning to paper the wall on one side during the hols).
He has confirmed that the "first floor internal wall is of, probably pre-war construction in cinder/cementious block with modern plaster finishing coat".
Furthermore, he inspected the wall from the loft area above and concluded "there is no structural connection between the wall and the ceiling rafters above, or indeed the adjoining internal walls which appear to be of older construction". In other words, the block wall is not tied into the other walls or the ceiling. The wall has also just been built straight off the floorboards in what the engineer concluded was previously "one larger first floor room"
As for the ceiling in the drawing room below, "cracking and damage to the cornice is consistent with movement and appears to be recent. It is possible that the addition of central heating has contributed to the cracking through the drying process." Although the central heating was installed over 18 months ago, so i'm not so sure on this...but bow to his experience. Finally, his recommendations "The wall is unsafe due to it's entirely freestanding nature. Secondly the considerable weight of the wall runs parallel to the floor joists, with no support across a large span (apx. 15.8m) in the room beneath. There is evidence of movement in the floor joists, the door frame and cracking in the ceiling directly below the wall which would in our opinion give reasonable cause for concern. We would suggest further, more detailed examination of the floor/ceiling construction in order to reach a final recommendation, however you may wish to consider the re-construction of the internal wall in a more lightweight alternative and the possible installation of additional support for the floor/ceiling."
So........thanks for the advice - it prompted me to seek professional advice before proceeding. He seemed very concerned indeed about the "freestanding nature of the wall" (his words). Although he did a quick inspection of the floor/ceiling joists between 1st and grnd flr, he did suggest a full inspection with all of the boards up before a final report. He did also point out that the room below is a very large one (40ft x 52ft) and that this would result in some rather large spans. The ceilng rose in the room below is apx 4ft in diameter and the chandelier has 36 bulbs (so fairly heavy
). All of these things could contribute to the cracking, but he was very clear that it's position directly beneath the wall above was more than coincidentalLooks like my boys will have to wait for their bedroom