How to break down interior walls where to go. Redevelopment in a typical apartment: how to demolish walls and not regret it. How to demolish walls of different materials

Redevelopment in an apartment has become one of the most popular ways to make your home special, unlike any other. At the same time, illegal demolition of walls can cause a lot of trouble for the owner of the apartment: for this they can not only be fined, but also forced to return the partitions to their original place. AiF.ru found out how to legally carry out redevelopment and what you need to remember when starting it.

Where to begin

First of all, you need to decide on what technology your house is built with. There is a widespread belief that any redevelopment can be made in monolithic houses, and walls cannot be touched at all in panel buildings. In fact, everything is more complicated.

Panel houses are frame and frameless. In the first case, the panels are mounted on a full or internal frame and are most often not load-bearing. In the second, the walls bear the main load (houses are assembled from them like houses of cards), and in some cases only the main walls and partitions between apartments, and in some also interior partitions. Most of the load-bearing walls are in the houses of the old, Soviet series.

Monolithic houses are built on the basis of a reinforcing cage, and usually there are no load-bearing walls in apartments. Often in such houses apartments are sold without partitions at all, so that residents can choose the layout that suits them best. However, do not think that any redevelopment is allowed in a monolithic house.

Prohibited techniques

In a house of any type, a toilet, a bathroom and a shower room must not be placed above living rooms and kitchens. Only one option is possible - a bathroom on the upper level above the kitchen in a two-level dwelling. Expansion and transfer of bathrooms is possible only within the adjacent auxiliary premises: corridors, halls, hallways, storerooms, etc. This rule also has a retroactive effect: the kitchen in an apartment can be located anywhere, but not under the bathrooms of the neighbors on top.

Do not close access to equipment (valves, taps, etc.), connect underfloor heating to general water supply systems. It is forbidden to transfer heating radiators to the glazed loggias and balconies, and in addition, in no case should the partition between the kitchen and the room be demolished if the latter is equipped with a gas stove, especially in one-room apartments.

"In addition, during redevelopment, it is impossible to design living rooms and kitchens without direct natural lighting," capture "the attic, basement, part of the inter-apartment vestibule, since in accordance with the housing code (Art. 36) they are the common property of the owners of premises in an apartment building" , - told Vadim Lamin, managing partner of the real estate agency SPENCER ESTATE.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Own redevelopment according to a standard project

To demolish the walls according to the law, you must first contact the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI) for the registration certificate of the premises. Having received this document, it will be possible to understand what kind of redevelopment in the apartment is possible in principle and whether the previous homeowners have made changes that you do not know about.

To simplify the redevelopment in panel houses of the old series, the Moscow Housing Inspection has developed several projects, which are divided into two types. The first of these is simple redevelopment, for which the load-bearing walls do not need to be demolished. The second is complex redevelopment with intervention in load-bearing walls.

The owner of the apartment can perform a simple redevelopment without prior approval. The same applies to projects that are not included in the catalog, but do not affect the supporting structures. There are, however, two conditions: you cannot expand the bathroom (wet area) and move the plumbing outside of it. After the completion of the work, the new layout of the apartment must be recorded in the BTI, and then issued in the Moscow Housing Inspection.

If a simple redevelopment involves the transfer of plumbing outside the bathroom or its expansion, then a project must be developed for this. Any design organization can perform it, and the work can be approved after the fact.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Getting permission for a complex redevelopment is not so easy. To do this, you need to choose one of the redevelopment options, which was developed at the Moscow Institute of Experimental Design (MNNITEP). The advantage of these projects is that they have already been developed, which means that you do not need to pay for them. The downside is that for their implementation, MNIITEP specialists need to examine the apartments of the neighbors above and below, which requires the consent of the latter. If the neighbors above or below find unauthorized redevelopment or openings in the load-bearing walls, then it will not be possible to use the free project.

If the owner of the apartment decides to make a complex redevelopment according to his own project, then he will have to pay for the project from his own pocket. The project should include drawings of changes before and after, an explanatory note, and photomontages are also needed for the facade. It is worth noting that almost all complex redevelopments have already been developed at MNIITEP, and therefore the chances that their own project will be allowed to be completed are minimal. Moreover, most likely, it will coincide with the one already developed.

If the redevelopment was made illegally, then the owner of the apartment can be fined from 2 to 2.5 thousand rubles. However, it is not always possible to get off with just a fine. According to article 29 of the RF LC, the owner of the apartment is obliged to legalize the redevelopment, and if it is done with significant violations, then return the apartment to its original state.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

The most popular types of redevelopment

Modern apartments in typical houses rarely have a large area, and therefore most often the walls in them are demolished, rather than erected. “Our clients most often turn small-sized" odnushki "into studio apartments due to the demolition of the partition between the room and the kitchen. Also, often in small apartments, the corridor is reduced in favor of living rooms, dressing rooms and storage rooms are allocated, if these are not provided for in the project, making, for example, niches in the corridor. In addition, the balcony is often attached to the living space or insulated and equipped, creating actually another room, for example, an office or a kind of lounge (recreation area), ”said Vladimir Bogdanyuk, Head of the Analytical and Consulting Center Est-a-Tet.

According to Maria Litinetskaya, General Director of Metrium Group, the simplest and most common redevelopment option is the unification or separation of bathrooms. This applies to all types of apartments. But it is in small sizes that one of the fashion trends has now become the development of European-type layouts. For example, a two-room apartment combines a kitchen with a living room and a separate bedroom.

Recently, it has become quite popular to carry out a variety of re-planning of an apartment. They do this sometimes in order to somehow change the lifestyle, or as a tribute to fashion. And someone makes redevelopment in the apartment in order to arrange it more comfortably. Whatever the reason, wall demolition is sometimes required to create a new apartment layout. Therefore, the question arises, how to demolish a wall in an apartment on your own?

Apartment remodeling

The whole procedure can consist of two stages:

  1. Obtaining permission and other documents.
  2. Demolition process.

Although the well-known proverb says that breaking is much easier than building, demolishing walls is a very difficult and time-consuming job. In addition, the process takes a long time, the room becomes dusty and very noisy. If you are not afraid of this reality, you can proceed with the demolition yourself.

Premises project

First of all, you need to decide what the interior of your house should be after renovation. Taking a piece of paper, you can plan all the rooms in the room yourself.

This is very important as not all walls can be removed. There are two main types of walls:

  • Carrier;
  • Carrying.

Distinguishing one from the other is easy enough. A load-bearing wall is considered to be an integral element of the entire building. For a ceiling slab, the load-bearing wall is considered to be the supporting element. It is not recommended to demolish the load-bearing walls, as because of this you doom yourself to the constant threat of the destruction of the building.

The curtain wall is usually a simple partition. Such partitions are made of lightweight materials during construction. When you remove such a wall, there is no load transfer and you do not endanger your life.

Partitions that can be removed are divided into the following types:

  • Brick
  • Wooden
  • Stone
  • Concrete

Each of these types of walls has its own demolition force. For example, in order to dismantle walls in a wooden apartment, you need to make less effort than when you need to remove a concrete wall.

If you cannot determine where which wall is, contact a specialist. They will make a professional project for your premises, conduct research and determine which wall in your apartment can be demolished.

Demolition process

When all the permits have been received, and the floor plan is ready, you can proceed with the demolition. It is important to make sure that all communications in the house are turned off. For example, the following should not work:

  • The television
  • Gas pipeline
  • Heating
  • Water pipes
  • Sewerage
  • Radio
  • Electricity
  • Hot water supply.

Tools for the job

Each type of wall needs its own set of tools. For example, for a brick partition you need to use:

  • Pickaxe or crowbar
  • Jackhammer
  • Steel Wedges
  • Chisel
  • Sledgehammer or hammer

For wooden walls, you can use a good chainsaw instead of a jackhammer. But for a concrete partition, you need to try to purchase such a set of tools:

  • Bulgarian
  • Puncher
  • Jackhammer

There is usually metal reinforcement inside the body of a concrete wall, so a grinder is needed to remove it.

Let's start dismantling

So, everything is ready to get started. If you do decide to demolish the load-bearing wall in the apartment, be very careful. Before making this decision, evaluate how the load will be distributed after one retaining wall is gone.

To understand how to remove it, let's imagine a cardboard box that has a partition that you want to remove. Chances are, you would just grab a pair of scissors and cut out a partition around the perimeter. Can this principle be used in a real room? Of course not! After all, if you cut it around the perimeter, the middle of the concrete wall, which weighs several hundred kilograms, will fall right to the floor. After that, you won't be able to put it anywhere at all. Based on this, we can conclude: you can never dismantle a wall in one big piece.

Video on how to demolish a wall in an apartment

There are several ways how to dismantle partitions in an apartment:

  • It is best to break up the block in parts. Determine for yourself what size, how much weight a piece of concrete or other material you could lift. Break the partition into such pieces. Using a grinder and a special disc for concrete, you can simply and easily cut the wall. To make your work easier, sketch out the wall with a pencil or other drawing tool into pieces. Later along these lines you can cut the wall. Using this method, you will understand that it is the simplest and almost noisy. But at the same time, it is very dusty.
  • You can also dismantle the wall by chiselling. To do this, use a hammer drill, in which a special chisel is installed at the end. This method is very fast, but also very noisy and sloppy. When holding the hammer drill in your hands, be careful not to break anything nearby.
  • The third method is to drill holes with an impact drill or the same perforator. This method is recommended by experts. First, you need to draw lines that divide the wall into pieces. After that, drill holes along the lines, they should be located close to each other. Now you can simply break off the drilled piece with a hammer or chisel. You need to lightly tap the places where the wall is drilled.

Although it is considered a safer way to demolish a partition, calling a professional craftsman, removing the wall yourself, you will significantly save your money. Do not be afraid to fantasize and transform the apartment to your liking, so that it is comfortable and cozy.

Citizens of the CIS countries who live in houses built in the last century during the Soviet era are often dissatisfied with their layout. Someone does not like long tram rooms, and someone does not understand at all how a toilet and a bathroom can be located 2 square meters away. Therefore, the question often arises of whether it is worth demolishing a load-bearing wall and what will happen if it is demolished. This article will explain in detail and describe all the consequences if you do this.

What are the load-bearing walls

Before starting the demolition of the load-bearing wall, first of all, you need to find out what type of floor it carries in itself. The structure of such a wall can be:

  • Hollow reinforced concrete slab.
  • Solid reinforced concrete slab.
  • Wooden construction.

Slabs are also divided into:

  • A finished structure, which is installed with a crane.
  • Pour in place from the solution.

Also, you should take into account the type of house in which you are going to demolish the load-bearing wall:

  • Panel house. Such a building is built from ready-made reinforced concrete slabs. The installation procedure is similar to the constructor.
  • Brick house. A different type of brick is used for such a building. Such houses are distinguished by their strength and durability, but housing in apartments of this type is much higher.
  • Monolithic houses. For construction, cement mortar is used, which is poured into special beams, from which, as a result, walls are obtained.

  • Wooden houses are built from various types of wood.

Before you demolish a load-bearing wall, you need to find out its purpose in the building structure. For this:

  • To do this, you need to determine the plan of changes that you want to make to the apartment.
  • Call specialists from the BTI or other professional organizations, which, in turn, keep records of housing objects.

  • Next, you need to agree on the entire work plan with the architects, who will take into account all the necessary details of the work.

If, for any reason, you are denied the demolition of the load-bearing wall, or you deviate from the plan for its demolition, then the consequences may be as follows:

  • The house may be cracked.

  • Overlappings may shift.
  • The walls and ceiling above can collapse.

Important advice. Before you develop a redevelopment, find out what can happen if you demolish one or another wall in the apartment. If, however, the demolition of the load-bearing wall is not possible, then use the installation of special columns or reinforcements that will withstand the load after dismantling the load-bearing wall.

Fines for demolition of a load-bearing wall in 2018-2019 in Russia

First of all, you should know that demolition is allowed by law and only non-load-bearing walls, since otherwise, dismantling the load-bearing wall entails a decrease in the strength of the building, its deformation, and can also lead to the collapse of the whole house as a whole. Facts and laws:

  • If the fact of dismantling was noticed, then a period of 1-3 months and a fine of 2-2.5 tr. Are given to reverse the changes.
  • If this condition is not met, then the housing services inspectorate will go to court. This can be fraught with complete withdrawal from the owner of his home, as well as putting it up for sale.
  • If the redevelopment in the apartment is considered illegal, then it cannot be privatized until it has its original appearance.
  • Also, such an apartment cannot be taken on a mortgage.
  • Demolition can affect the deterioration of the living conditions of neighbors (their walls can crack, etc.), which can also be a reason to go to court against you.
  • If you buy a house with illegal redevelopment, then all the funds that will be spent on "bringing it into proper condition" are taken by the newly-made owner.

Always be careful when buying a new property, as well as carry out all repair work, without violating the current legislation on construction work in your country in order to avoid unnecessary problems with the law and additional financial costs to eliminate them.

The question of how to demolish a wall in an apartment yourself and preferably without dust arises when the need arises to redevelop housing. When preparing for this work, it is worth understanding that in the course of its implementation you will have to face various unexpected problems, but it is quite possible to complete it on your own.



To eliminate the likelihood of extremely unpleasant surprises and to ensure yourself legal protection, first of all, you must obtain permission from the housing authorities.

Deciding to demolish the wall in the apartment without first checking the possibility of performing this operation, you can face extremely unpleasant problems

Before performing the work, you must invite a specialist architect who can advise on the possibility of redevelopment. The same specialist can assist in drawing up a sketch of the upcoming demolition. If the redevelopment is quite voluminous, then a project will be required, which should be ordered from a construction company. Permission for the demolition of wall structures is obtained on the basis of the project, which is then submitted to the BTI for changes.

The work must be carried out in strict accordance with the project, and upon completion, the correctness of the execution must be checked by a specially invited commission.

What tools are needed to demolish the wall in the apartment yourself

It will hardly be possible to demolish the wall in the apartment completely without dust. Therefore, before starting work, all furniture should be carefully covered with foil. You also need to make sure that there are no communications and electrical wiring in the wall.

Then you should choose the tool that suits best. To demolish the wall, you can use:

  • grinder, about the choice of which;
  • a powerful puncher, which you can read about;
  • jackhammer.

Work begins with marking, and the demolition of the wall is always done in parts.

How to demolish a wall with a jackhammer

The use of this tool is possible only on condition that no one lives in the apartment, and it is completely free from household items. This is because working with the jackhammer is extremely noisy and dusty.

Having decided to demolish the wall with the help of breaker milk, it is necessary to completely empty the apartment

How to break a wall with a grinder

In order for the grinder to be able to cope with the dismantling work, it is necessary to install a disc on it that allows cutting concrete. To carry out the dismantling, the wall material is cut into pieces, following the previously applied markings. The advantage of using a grinder is to minimize the noise produced and to be neat.

So the wall is dismantled with a grinder

How to demolish a partition with a puncher

Demolishing a wall with a rock drill is the least dusty and effective. To dismantle the partition, through holes are drilled in it along the lines of the existing marking. Further, individual pieces are simply knocked out with a chisel and hammer.

This is how the wall is demolished with hammer drills.

Upon completion of the work, all waste is collected and removed.

Dismantling the wall: the cost of work

Since the dismantling of walls is a rather difficult job, you can turn to specialists to carry it out. On average, the cost of this operation is about 500 rubles / m2. However, this figure can vary significantly depending on the thickness and material of the wall to be dismantled.

How to demolish a wall in an apartment yourself (video)

In addition to those described above, there are other methods for dismantling the interior walls in an apartment. One of them is presented in the video that we invite you to watch.

Today, many people use drywall for repairs. For wall decoration, especially in old houses, it is simply irreplaceable.

There are two types of plasterboard wall cladding: frame and frameless.

Very often the problem arises of how to decorate the walls in the house. Wall decoration is an important component of apartment renovation.

If you decorate the walls, it will affect the design of the room, set the cosiness and mood in the room.

We remove interior partitions

Redevelopment of an apartment is almost always associated with the dismantling or erection of partitions. Since partitions do not belong to load-bearing structures, there are much fewer restrictions on working with them both in terms of application and from a legal point of view. Disassembling such structures takes relatively little time and does not require the installation of a temporary support.

Before breaking, both wall surfaces should be wetted with water to reduce the spread of dust. During operation, the masonry is also periodically wetted with water. To prevent dust from entering other rooms, the area where the partition breaks is hung around the perimeter with a wet canvas.

To protect the flooring from falling bricks and pieces of plaster, a thick layer of rags is laid. It is advisable to disassemble the wall with an assistant - in order to keep the masonry from collapsing in time. For safety reasons, it is necessary to de-energize everything in the apartment and remove the electrical wires from the wall.

The thickness of partitions in apartments is usually about 10 cm. They are made of bricks and gypsum boards using wood reinforcement. All frame and reinforcement parts must be cut out before dismantling the masonry, otherwise, under the blows of a hammer, the wall will collapse more than necessary. It is not necessary to remove the plaster completely, but it should not interfere with the manipulation of the masonry elements.

Adhere to the following steps to demolish interior partitions and brick walls. There is a 10 mm gap in the upper part of the partition to compensate for the shrinkage of the building, clogged with tow. Having cleared the gap from the tow, they begin to disassemble the partition. The tip of the bit is guided into the gap between the block and the mud, slightly deviating from the perpendicular.

Redevelopment in an apartment has become one of the most popular ways to make your home special, unlike any other. At the same time, illegal demolition of walls can cause a lot of trouble for the owner of the apartment: for this they can not only be fined, but also forced to return the partitions to their original place. AiF.ru found out how to legally carry out redevelopment and what you need to remember when starting it.

Where to begin

First of all, you need to decide on what technology your house is built with. There is a widespread belief that any redevelopment can be made in monolithic houses, and walls cannot be touched at all in panel buildings. In fact, everything is more complicated.

Panel houses are frame and frameless. In the first case, the panels are mounted on a full or internal frame and are most often not load-bearing. In the second, the walls bear the main load (houses are assembled from them like houses of cards), and in some cases only the main walls and partitions between apartments, and in some also interior partitions. Most of the load-bearing walls are in the houses of the old, Soviet series.

Monolithic houses are built on the basis of a reinforcing cage, and usually there are no load-bearing walls in apartments. Often in such houses apartments are sold without partitions at all, so that residents can choose the layout that suits them best. However, do not think that any redevelopment is allowed in a monolithic house.

Prohibited techniques

In a house of any type, a toilet, a bathroom and a shower room must not be placed above living rooms and kitchens. Only one option is possible - a bathroom on the upper level above the kitchen in a two-level dwelling. Expansion and transfer of bathrooms is possible only within the adjacent auxiliary premises: corridors, halls, hallways, storerooms, etc. This rule also has a retroactive effect: the kitchen in an apartment can be located anywhere, but not under the bathrooms of the neighbors on top.

Do not close access to equipment (valves, taps, etc.), connect underfloor heating to general water supply systems. It is forbidden to transfer heating radiators to the glazed loggias and balconies, and in addition, in no case should the partition between the kitchen and the room be demolished if the latter is equipped with a gas stove, especially in one-room apartments.

"In addition, during redevelopment, it is impossible to design living rooms and kitchens without direct natural lighting," capture "the attic, basement, part of the inter-apartment vestibule, since in accordance with the Housing Code (Art. 36) they are the common property of the owners of premises in an apartment building" , - told Vadim Lamin, managing partner of the real estate agency SPENCER ESTATE.

Own redevelopment according to a standard project

To demolish the walls according to the law, you must first contact the Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI) for the registration certificate of the premises. Having received this document, it will be possible to understand what kind of redevelopment in the apartment is possible in principle and whether the previous homeowners have made changes that you do not know about.

To simplify the redevelopment in panel houses of the old series, the Moscow Housing Inspection has developed several projects, which are divided into two types. The first of these is simple redevelopment, for which the load-bearing walls do not need to be demolished. The second is complex redevelopment with intervention in load-bearing walls.

The owner of the apartment can perform a simple redevelopment without prior approval. The same applies to projects that are not included in the catalog, but do not affect the supporting structures. There are, however, two conditions: you cannot expand the bathroom (wet area) and move the plumbing outside of it. After the completion of the work, the new layout of the apartment must be recorded in the BTI, and then issued in the Moscow Housing Inspection.

If a simple redevelopment involves the transfer of plumbing outside the bathroom or its expansion, then a project must be developed for this. Any design organization can perform it, and the work can be approved after the fact.


Getting permission for a complex redevelopment is not so easy. To do this, you need to choose one of the redevelopment options, which was developed at the Moscow Institute of Experimental Design (MNNITEP). The advantage of these projects is that they have already been developed, which means that you do not need to pay for them. The downside is that for their implementation, MNIITEP specialists need to examine the apartments of the neighbors above and below, which requires the consent of the latter. If the neighbors above or below find unauthorized redevelopment or openings in the load-bearing walls, then it will not be possible to use the free project.

If the owner of the apartment decides to make a complex redevelopment according to his own project, then he will have to pay for the project from his own pocket. The project should include drawings of changes before and after, an explanatory note, and photomontages are also needed for the facade. It is worth noting that almost all complex redevelopments have already been developed at MNIITEP, and therefore the chances that their own project will be allowed to be completed are minimal. Moreover, most likely, it will coincide with the one already developed.

If the redevelopment was made illegally, then the owner of the apartment can be fined from 2 to 2.5 thousand rubles. However, it is not always possible to get off with just a fine. According to article 29 of the RF LC, the owner of the apartment is obliged to legalize the redevelopment, and if it is done with significant violations, then return the apartment to its original state.


The most popular types of redevelopment

Modern apartments in typical houses rarely have a large area, and therefore most often the walls in them are demolished, rather than erected. “Our clients most often turn small-sized" odnushki "into studio apartments due to the demolition of the partition between the room and the kitchen. Also, often in small apartments, the corridor is reduced in favor of living rooms, dressing rooms and storage rooms are allocated, if these are not provided for in the project, making, for example, niches in the corridor. In addition, the balcony is often attached to the living space or insulated and equipped, creating actually another room, for example, an office or a kind of lounge (recreation area), ”said Vladimir Bogdanyuk, Head of the Analytical and Consulting Center Est-a-Tet.

According to Maria Litinetskaya, General Director of Metrium Group, the simplest and most common redevelopment option is the unification or separation of bathrooms. This applies to all types of apartments. But it is in small sizes that one of the fashion trends has now become the development of European-type layouts. For example, a two-room apartment combines a kitchen with a living room and a separate bedroom.

The issue of expanding the space in the house is very acute for many families. The layouts of apartments created in the past do not allow the modern person to unfold, limiting his movements, constraining him functionally and emotionally. Therefore, the normal desire of the owners of a small kitchen is the desire to expand its area at the expense of an adjacent room. As a consequence, it became a very popular solution to demolish the wall between the kitchen and the room. By combining two small spaces, you can create one that is more comfortable, spacious and attractive. In this case, the functions of each room can be saved. There is another option - moving the wall, which will increase one of the rooms.

Let's figure out how to break the wall between the kitchen and the room without breaking the law and without creating risks for ourselves and others. To do this, we will accompany the description with understandable photos.

Legal demolition

You should not think that, being the legal owner of an apartment in a Khrushchev or in a panel house, you have the right to do whatever you want in it. There are certain building codes and country laws that restrict actions. This is primarily due to security. After all, an incorrectly demolished wall can lead to the destruction of the entire building, for example, if it is load-bearing. Therefore, before such actions, you need to obtain permission. By contacting the relevant authorities, you can agree on the future demolition of the wall, having received approval. Only on the basis of the obtained official permission, you can proceed with further actions.


Which wall to demolish

This is the most important issue to be agreed upon. After all, the wall should not be load-bearing. Therefore, the permit will indicate which object can be removed - only interior partitions. You can determine the type of wall visually, as well as taking into account the thickness and material from which it is made.

For example, in a panel house, the load-bearing wall is about 150-180 mm thick, and the partition is 90 mm thick. The thickness must be measured without taking into account the finishing materials. To accurately determine the type of wall, it is recommended to use documents - an architectural project.


Execution stages

If permission is received, materials and tools are prepared, you can start taking action. Only the correct sequence can guarantee the safe performance of work:

  • First, you need to "get rid" of furniture and other items in the room. If there are any elements that cannot be moved from their place, they can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Indeed, when parsing the partition, there will be a lot of dust. Therefore, the floor covering must be protected not only from dirt, but also from damage. Film and cardboard can be used.
  • First you need to turn off the electricity supply. Experts recommend removing the wiring before demolition. To do this, you need to punch through the wall, for example, from the socket, so that the cable can be removed. The remaining piece must be insulated.
  • If there is piping in the wall, shut off the fluid supply. After that, you can neatly remove the wiring.
  • If there is a door, platbands, plinths are removed.

Remember that when the wall is demolished, you can get injured, so you need to act carefully, carefully. And you should also wear personal protective equipment: gloves, a hat, goggles, closed clothing and shoes.


Material accounting

How to proceed if the wall is removed between the kitchen and the room in a Khrushchev or in a panel house? After all, the material is different everywhere.

It must be remembered that one should always start to act from above. If you act from below, the top may collapse. Therefore, there are certain recommendations:

  • Brick. If you remove the finishing materials, you can see the brick seams. First, you need to insert a chisel into this joint and work with a hammer. After that, you can knock out a brick or part of it obliquely. Instead of this kit, you can use the hammer drill in hammer mode.
  • Reinforced concrete. In this case, a hammer drill and a grinder will be effective. Then the concrete is broken, after which we cut off the reinforcement with a grinder. The demolition of the partition should be done in parts to prevent the fall of a large part of it.
  • Drywall. This is the easiest option. A magnet can be used to locate the locations of the metal frame. If there is no desire to act carefully, you can simply punch the material in a certain place, and then remove the sheets in parts. But it is better to determine the location of the self-tapping screws in order to remove the sheets without problems. After that, all that remains is to disassemble the frame.
  • Gypsum. A hammer drill and a grinder are suitable for such material. As a rule, everything will take a couple of hours.

About Khrushchevs

Such buildings are built according to the same scheme. They represent three longitudinal load-bearing walls, they are crossed by transverse ones. There are also walls facing the staircase (also load-bearing).


Therefore, it will not be difficult to remove the wall between the kitchen and the room in such an apartment. It must be remembered that not all rooms can be combined. For example, redevelopment cannot be done in such a way, for example, that the wet area (bathroom, toilet) moves to a room that is residential in other riser apartments. It is unacceptable.

conclusions

As you can see, there is nothing terrible in the process of demolishing the wall. But it is only important to act consistently, take into account the recommendations of the current legislation, and also have the appropriate permits. If you follow these recommendations, you can secure the process almost 100%, and the result will be achieved quickly and with the required parameters.

After the demolition of the wall, you can proceed with the subsequent actions to organize the space, decoration and other manipulations.

Any major overhaul, and even more so if a redevelopment is planned, begins with the dismantling of old structures. In addition to water pipes, sewerage, plumbing, electrical wiring, ceramic tiles and others, you often have to dismantle the wall in the bathroom. In order to avoid irreparable mistakes, you should follow certain rules, which you must familiarize yourself with before starting work.

It is possible to disassemble such structures only after all the approvals of a previously completed project have been carried out in the relevant authorities. The load-bearing walls bear a significant load, and improper dismantling of them can lead to the destruction of the building.

To determine if a wall is load-bearing, you should pay attention not only to its thickness. If a wall supports a joint of floor slabs, a beam or reinforcing beams, then it is load-bearing.

Most likely, it will not work to completely remove the load-bearing wall: part of it will have to support the upper structural elements. But some fragments can be dismantled if the remaining ones are reinforced with the help of auxiliary beams, channels and other welded metal structures. They are fastened with anchor bolts to plates and walls or by welding to embedded fittings.

Brick Wall Demolition Sequence

  • Installation of temporary supports: wooden beams with a section of 100 × 100 mm or metal pipes are installed between the slabs of the upper and lower floors. Support platforms are created from a thick board under them to evenly distribute the load. Use wooden wedges or jacks to secure them.

Temporary supports can be created from metal structures

  • If it is required to support two floor slabs, temporary supports are installed so that the support pads are perpendicular to the line of joint of the slabs. The supports should be installed strictly vertically, and the distance between them should not exceed 0.9 m.
  • Proceeding to dismantling, work begins with a power outage, locating the wiring and disconnecting it from the common apartment network.


The old electrical wiring must be disconnected from the network.

  • They begin to disassemble the wall from the top: you need to remove the layer of plaster, knock out the top brick in the center of the planned opening, after which you can remove the adjacent bricks. If necessary, additional supports are installed immediately after it becomes possible to strengthen the supporting transverse platforms.


Dismantle ceramic tiles with a wide chisel and hammer

  • If a doorway is planned in place of the dismantled section of the wall, a supporting lintel made of concrete, metal channel or corners must be installed above it. The space between the lintel and the floor slab is filled with building material.
  • Dismantling of temporary supports is possible only after complete hardening of the cement-sand mortar, that is, after 7-8 days.
  • With walls erected from blocks, proceed in the same way. Gypsum blocks can also be cut with a grinder and a conventional hand saw.

Features of dismantling concrete walls

Preparatory work is carried out in the same way. The difference is that the concrete walls will have to be cut with a powerful grinder equipped with a diamond-coated wheel. This tool is also used to cut embedded fittings. In some cases, you have to use a jackhammer. It should be borne in mind that electrical wiring can be hidden in channels, therefore, it must be disconnected in advance.


To dismantle a concrete wall, you will need a powerful grinder equipped with a diamond-coated circle

How to dismantle partitions

Removing a partition is easier than removing a load-bearing wall: it does not require temporary reinforcement of the structure. In addition, there is no need for a project and approvals. A partition usually separates the toilet and the bathroom in standard layouts in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

The thickness of the partition, as a rule, does not exceed 100 mm and the use of a jackhammer is not required for dismantling: you can do with a sledgehammer. But first, you should remove the putty material, which is used to fill the gap between the ceiling plate and the wall with a hammer and chisel (its thickness is no more than 20 mm). You also need to dismantle the floor plinth. If a heated towel rail is installed on the partition, it is necessary to unscrew the screws with which it is attached, and tie up (support) the pipes so as not to damage the system. After dismantling the partition, the heating pipe must be shifted differently, and the heated towel rail must be fixed on another wall.


The heated towel rail must be temporarily fixed and then moved to another location

Dismantling work is always associated with a lot of dust. In order not to litter the entire apartment, you should stock up on sacking, old sheets or any other woven material in advance and, having moistened it, hang the place of work. A respirator or air-gauze dressing must be worn to protect the respiratory tract. Eyes are protected with construction goggles, hands - with work gloves.

To remove large debris, you need to purchase synthetic bags. You can only dispose of building materials in a place specially designated by the city authorities.


Construction waste is collected in synthetic bags

Dismantling old walls can be done on your own, but it is better to seek help from a specialized company. This will help you avoid mistakes that are expensive to fix.

Many owners of apartments in multi-storey buildings often suffer from the inconvenience of planning. Therefore, many welcome the idea. This option for increasing the space allows you to create a unique design in the apartment.

But you can't just tear down the wall. It is necessary to correctly, and most importantly, legally carry out alterations. Since the base of the balcony is a slab, clamped between the ceilings, it is necessary to correctly distribute the load of furniture and other elements.

You can limit yourself only to the removal of the balcony structure

There are several options for combining a room with a balcony or loggia.

  1. Removing only the window structure. The wall partition remains in place. In this case, it is necessary to make glazing and insulation of the balcony.
  2. Complete dismantling of the wall. In this way, a room with a larger area is obtained. In this case, not only glazing and insulation are required, but also the transfer of the heating radiator.

In the case of using the second option, it is necessary to agree on a redevelopment plan in the relevant services.

This process is quite lengthy, so you should worry about it in advance. Even if it is planned to simply move the heating radiator and not touch the wall, then the documents must be approved.

Preliminary work


Before starting the connection process, you need to think over and do some preparatory work:

  • strengthening the fence. Experts advise to weld a reliable frame from metal structures;
  • perform external cladding with siding. It will help protect the balcony or loggia from temperature extremes and keep the room warm;
  • the balcony is pre-glazed and insulated.

To ensure good thermal insulation, metal-plastic windows with double-glazed windows are used. The wind pressure on the glazing can be reduced by arranging one openable window in the middle of the structure.


Insulation is carried out on all surfaces, except for the partition wall between the room and the balcony space. To ensure long-term operation, it is imperative to provide hydro and vapor barrier. If there is no permission to transfer the heating battery, then you need to think about arranging underfloor heating.

Connection by dismantling a window opening

The remaining load-bearing wall needs to be strengthened

You can partially connect the balcony and the room. In this case, only the window opening will be removed. The partition wall between the room and the balcony is load-bearing, so it is impractical to break it without additional reinforcement.

It is not difficult to remove the window block; carrying out these works does not require a lot of labor. We use a hammer and a hacksaw from the tools.

First you need to remove the glass and dismantle the sashes. The window frame is sawn in several places with a hacksaw and disassembled in parts.

Complete dismantling of the wall

After complete dismantling, the opening requires additional reinforcement

When securing the connection by dismantling the wall on the balcony, additional reinforcement should be carried out. Removing the load-bearing wall between the room and the balcony and without making any reinforcements, you can create an emergency.

Here you will need more serious tools, such as a grinder and a hammer drill. They make it easier to remove concrete partitions.

Making connections in this way, it becomes necessary to transfer the heating battery. Therefore, to begin with, we dismantle the old product and cut off the pipes.

When arranging a new battery, it should be remembered that in proportion to the increase in the quadrature of the room, an appropriate number of sections should be additionally supplied in the radiator.

Threshold


The partition wall has a certain elevation above the floor of the room - a threshold. But when carrying out the demolition of the partition, it means arranging the floor of the same level. In such a situation, problems can arise. It is not always possible to dismantle the threshold for some reason:

  1. In brick houses, this element is part of the supporting structure that fixes the balcony slab.
  2. In panel high-rise buildings, its absence will lead to exposure of the joint. This is fraught with freezing and weakening of rigidity.

Therefore, this wall detail will have to be beaten so that it fits into the overall interior. For example, arrange stairs.

Some tenants achieve a single-level floor by raising it to the level of the threshold.

Pros and cons of connection


By removing the window sill, you will expand the free space in the room.

Is it worth demolishing the wall between the balcony and the room. Let's try to figure it out, weighing all the pros and cons. The advantages of this solution are:

  • an undeniable increase in space;
  • increasing the level of natural light;
  • the possibility of implementing a unique design.

All these facts in parallel also increase the cost of the apartment. For how easy and simple it is to remove the partition between the room and the balcony, see this useful video:


But the disadvantages should be noted:

  • a long and not always pleasant procedure for obtaining permission to demolish a partition;
  • sometimes only partial dismantling of the wall is possible;
  • performing such work requires some experience, so you cannot do without the help of specialists.

There are many firms that specialize in remodeling. Often they are also involved in obtaining approval documents.