Any builders on here?

We are having a new kitchen fitted at home and we want to knock down an internal wall to create a larger floor area.
The house ia a small 1980s semi.
The joists are 220 x 50 450mm centres and span the full width of the house (4.75m)
However there is a brick wall part way along their length (which we want to remove).

At the front of the house the joists are the same spec and span the full width of the house unsupported.

Can we remove the wall without using an RSJ?

I have looked on t'net and it suggests joists at 220 x 47 @ 450 centres is suitable for spans upto 4.55m
as mentioned the joists at the front of the house exceed that @4.75m span.

Any advice appreciated.

Be very careful.
The brick wall, if at right angles to the joists, is probably load bearing.  It may be positioned to lessen the span of the joists to support the increased loading from the floor above which maybe where your bathroom is, think gallons & gallons of water in the bathtub. 

regards
Allen

wints wrote:

Be very careful.
The brick wall, if at right angles to the joists, is probably load bearing.  It may be positioned to lessen the span of the joists to support the increased loading from the floor above which maybe where your bathroom is, think gallons & gallons of water in the bathtub. 

regards
Allen

The bathroom is above there but we have removed the bath.
This pic may explain better and show joist of equivalent length/size unsupported
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Should point out that updatirs are all stud walls

Best getting proper advice from a builder but looks ok to me, they already span it at other end of the house, does all the wall need to come out? Put a beam in and create an arch?

Ps, where are the walls upstairs? Do they go over this span or the other area it spans full width of the house

KSH wrote:

Best getting proper advice from a builder but looks ok to me, they already span it at other end of the house, does all the wall need to come out? Put a beam in and create an arch?

We want to have a flat ceiling without any arches or rsjs etc if possible, the walls upstairs are not directly over the wall to be removed but about a foot closer to the outside wall

How's the work going Ian?
Have you got your office back yet   

Hi Ken
I beginning to think I had never started!
Its turning out to be one of those jobs where you start and three other jobs need doing at the same time.
The office was moved but the wifi was unreliable so I had to hard wire the router to the PC, up through the loft down the toilet wall (remove the downstairs toilet, run behind back of the utility cupboards etc)
The washing machine decided it was time to overflow the waste hose, so the drain rods had to come out
The upstairs toilet then decided to stop filling and the flush to run continuosly, so new fill and flush valve required, toilet is close coupled and concealed connections!
B&Q had originally schedulded delivery for 11th March for kitchen and 27th Feb for floor tiles.
Popped in today to change a door to pan drawers and they proudly annouced the kitchen is due for delivery this Thursday (13th) the day the plasterer comes, great we thought, until we double checked and its just the doors that are coming on the 13th, the carcasses are now coming 14th April!!!!
We have sold our old kitchen and stripped it all out this weekend as the buyer is collecting on the 15th Feb.
So no kitchen cupboards, sink, cooker, dishwasher or anything until the 14th April.
We are going to camp outside the B&Q entrance in the MH until they sort a better delivery date.
(Bet you wish you had never asked             )

Oh dear, you'll have to live in the van   

We we would do, but our drive slopes quite a bit, so much so the fridge won't work. But the B&Q car park is flat!