What to Consider Before Knocking Down a Wall in Your Home
Many home alterations or improvement entail the
removal of a wall, but there are some things you should consider
before you begin the demolition, especially if you live in a condo
or apartment. Firstly, it is your legal obligation to get permits,
and you must pay any costs associated with this. This is not only to
make sure the renovations comply with local rules and regulations,
but because an apartment building is registered with a certain
number of rooms and could have its license revoked if this changes.
The Building Department must give approval of your plans.
Renovations could impact on your neighbor’s apartment too, causing
cracks in the walls or plumbing. If you are a shareholder in the
building, then you must obtain personal liability and property
damage insurance to cover this possibility. If you own a home on a
block of land, it’s still a good idea to get insurance just in case
of accidents.
Before you knock down that wall, it is imperative to find out if it
is a load-bearing wall. If it is, you’ll need to substitute a
special beam for what you take out. You also need to know what
exactly is inside that wall. Could there be electric wires? What
about plumbing? Having to repair cracked or broken water pipes will
blow out your budget.
Another thing to consider is what the wall is made of. If it is
asbestos, then the appropriate authorities must be notified. The
asbestos must be encapsulated for safety. You will need extra safety
gear when handling it, too.
It is wise to consider exactly what it is you want to achieve by
knocking out the wall. You might think that it will give more space,
but don’t forget that along a wall is the usual place for furniture.
If you reduce your wall space, then where will the furniture fit?
This may not be a problem for you, but if you don’t work it out
beforehand you won’t know until it’s too late.
Traffic flow is another consideration. If there is no wall in that
spot, will family members then use the space to walk through? If
they do, will that interfere with your plans? If you don’t plan on
having traffic come through that place, you may be able to impede
its flow with a bamboo screen, or strategically placed chairs or low
cupboards. Once you have considered all these possibilities, then
you can go ahead and knock down your wall with a clear conscience.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
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