Can I knock this wall down?

[indiesearcher]

Hi DIY'ers,

Floor plan attached...!

I have a terraced Victorian house, halls adjoining.

As you'll see the corridor between our staircase and lounge is quite tight to get through to the kitchen - I'd like to open up the wall (shaded red) so it feels wider.

I don't want to take down the whole wall (there's nice cornice on the lounge side), but sort of a squared off arch or similar?

Questions;

1. I have extra of both the tiles and the engineered wood floor either side of the wall - presume I'd just get a suitable run of threshold?

2. where could I move the radiator too??

3. I know it's hard to say but would this require a steel do you think??

4. what's the order in which you'd do this?? Knock it down, make good the edges (I'd quite like to line the arch in oak frame or something a bit different), move the rad, make good the floor? Or is it way more complicated than that?

Any help or advice much appreciated.

Diagram attached 😁

It would need a steel but it won't pass building regs as your staircase won't be a protected fire exit route any more

So no you can't knock it down is my unqualified opinion

Thanks! That's a bummer... I've seen this done in a few houses online though? Are there any ways around it? Other routes for fire escape etc?

I know people who have done this. To overcome fire safety they have a 'fire suppression system' - often sprinklers but I believe there are other methods.
Possibly require steel but impossible to know without having a look in the loft etc.

Not sure if it's an option to box in the staircase so it isn't open to the habitable room. Some clever styling with spotlights etc so it isn't dark?

Just two Pinterest images I've found - the 'Peckham' one is perhaps more than I'd knock out but it's the same situation layout wise.

Thanks @rainbowplease I don't want to box the stair in! Sprinklers could work....!

Anything is possible but I'd start with either building regs or a structural surveyor but there is something about your wording that makes me feel very very nervous on your behalf, this is not a two minute job and will lead to a lot more than you might think...

I guess I could make a wider opening with some double doors that fold back?

Or something like the crittal style, but no doubt it'll date horribly?

Haha @Moobootoyoutoo don't worry I wouldn't do this as a DIY! Just posted really to see if there was something I hadn't thought about before I contacted any trades/experts - but thank you for expressing caution, far better to be prepared. I certainly hadn't thought about it needing building regs.

we took a wall down and actually the structural engineer gave some ideas and then the builder gave a very different perspective and actually in conjunction with the building reg team agreed a solution that's actually worked out really well and cost wise, it wasn't really that much money - also probably saved us £25k by adjusting what we were planning to do long term, good builder, great builder in fact but just locally recommended middle of the road price wise

You may see houses that have open plan stairs - they will have been done before the building regs changed

Another thing to consider is that you will lose the heat from your living room up the staircase if you don't have any doors.

@Geneticsbunny

Another thing to consider is that you will lose the heat from your living room up the staircase if you don't have any doors.

Yes I was going to say this. Ours was open plan (pretty much like the second picture) and we closed the wall off because that room felt like an extension to the hallway - always freezing, and full of blown-in leaves in the autumn.

We have similar in our house done by previous owners which we've owned for 20 years so it was obviously done before current building regs requirements. The living (front) room is still separate but the back (dining) room is open and I really love it. Pretty sure there's no steel