The wall! The WALL

[scorpiogirly]

First of all, please excuse the mess. My house is a total tip and the moment.

When these two rooms were knocked into two, there was a piece of wall left as you can see on the left.

This has bugged me for a while and have always wanted it removed. I am doing this now as I want to lay laminate flooring. I wanted to get this done before Christmas but it is not looking likely now.

I have had one quote so far which is £1500. Have more people lined up to come.

My question is, does it look that odd. Would it bother you? And would you pay 1500 to have it removed.

@scorpiogirly

You don't seem to realise it SHOULD be on both sides. Something should be supporting the right hand end.

Unless you're using 'skyhooks'

So was that the chimney breast?

I'm confused

If you are doing it you must get proper calculations and building regulations sign off as it's a structural alteration.
Not only for paperwork if you sell but also because that means it's properly designed and fitted and your upstairs wall is unlikely to cave in.
It might be that putting a pad stone (bit that supports the steel) in on that side was more awkward so it's at 90 degrees on a stub wall rather than set in the side wall or they 'designed' the opening for a bit of steel they had that size.
Sometimes there was a perfectly logical idea at the time but everything else has changed so much that logic has been lost.

It wouldn't bother me and I'd leave it. But £1,500 seems very cheap to remove this and re-do the load-bearing lintel.

I'd have similar put in on the right hand wall. Not only might it 'look' more balanced but it would support that end of your RSJ (& thus the room above) !

You're being asked for a lot of money because that lump is keeping upstairs up. It is an important structural part of the house and to change it is a big job.

Just work around it and include it in your decorating. Slap some coving up and it's a positive design choice. This is ours.

If I were you I'd pay to get it done properly, as the other side looks completely dodgy too.
We have a kitchen extension that was done a long time before we bought the house. When we were renovating, we realised that we had exactly the same as you, but he RSJ was on a column of half blocks on one side, and nothing on the other. It's supposed to be taking the weight of the back of the house! We had to build two columns up, but now that everything is painted and tiled, it looks great.

Do you mean that 1500 is a lot of money for this? See, yours looks fine as it's on both sides. Also really like the colour you have used!

My room is wider but is exactly the same as yours but on both sides. There is also a pillar in the middle. It was like it when I moved in.

Personally, I think it's great because it separates the two areas whilst still being open iyswim.

It wouldn’t bother me enough to spend £1500 removing it, I think it looks fine.

O'Reilly would do it cheaper but you get what you pay for

Wouldn’t bother me, I would put units up to it. And use the £1500 for something else

when comes out and the risk goes in where is the risk going to rest!

We have something similar and I wanted it removed but turns out it had all the waste pipes from the bathroom above so couldn’t be moved.

In my case I went back to the drawing board and much prefer the solution to my original plans

We have one and I'd never even thought about it until now! To be honest it serves a purpose to divide the room whilst it still actually being open plan, like pp have said.

What was the solution if you don't mind me asking?

@ValBiro just on the one side?

I would leave it and make it into a book shelf feature. I would use some of the money instead to build a window seat to enable your dog a better view out.

I'd leave it, hang some pictures down it. It's fine as a divider between the rooms.

My priority would be that the RSJ is actually doing its job by being supported and supporting on both sides.

Could you try and make a feature of it rather than getting rid of it? The room dividers in these pics are super popular and can be a nice way to zone large rooms. Obvs these are really modern but you could try a more traditional look to match the age of the house

Spend the money on an upgrade to the flooring instead ? It must be there for a reason

@scorpiogirly just on the one side, yes!

It would be cheaper to have a matching one built on the other side if it is the symmetry that is annoying you. Personally, I don't think it will be that noticeable once you've got your furniture in.

My old house had this so we built a matching wall on the other side for balance

I'd put bookshelves on it and live with it.

I would worry that it was left there for a reason. Pipes, electrics, holding the ceiling up?