Knocking down internal walls
Opening up or removing a wall is a great way to create larger living spaces and help natural light to penetrate deeper into your home. Emily Smith highlights the key considerations when doing this
Emily Smith
This renovation and extension project by Mulroy Architects involved removing several load-bearing walls; a stepped design has helped with ceiling height consistency in the different zones
The way we interact with our homes is very different to how previous generations did things, both in terms of how much time we spend in certain rooms and our preferences towards more open-plan layouts. So if you’re renovating an older property, chances are you’re planning to reorganise the internal layout to better suit modern life, whether that’s to create larger rooms, make better use of the flow of natural light or to fully incorporate a new extension.
Before you go ahead planning which walls are going to be altered or removed completely, you’ll need to do some investigation into their makeup and whether they play an important structural role in supporting any upper storeys. Here’s what you need to know and where to start.