Open floor plans are a very popular architectural feature nowadays. They often offer increased natural light, smoother traffic flow, and easy communication. This makes them a popular choice for families when it comes to choosing a home. However, if your home doesn’t already have an open floor plan or you just want to open up a room to increase its square footage, you may be considering removing a wall.
While removing a wall can often be done, there are a few things you must consider to successfully remove a particular wall in your home.
Is it load-bearing?
Unfortunately, if the wall you’d like to remove is load-bearing (i.e. it holds up part of the structure of your home), it’s going to be more difficult and expensive to remove. However, it still can be done! Hiring an experienced contractor and having a professional structural engineer assess your home’s structural integrity will allow you to safely remove the wall without any issues. Removing a load-bearing wall will be around $1,200 – $10,000 while removing a non-load-bearing wall is going to cost more like $300 – $1000.
If it’s load-bearing, do you know what you want to replace it?
Load-bearing walls help support the weight of your home above, so to remove a load-bearing wall, you need to have something replace it. Many individuals opt for steel beams or half walls or pass-throughs to replace a load-bearing wall. If you’re trying to open up your kitchen, placing a countertop on a half wall is a great way to create a breakfast bar or another nook that you can use.
Do you have plans for the wiring, ductwork, or plumbing that runs through the wall?
Even interior, non-load bearing walls often have wiring, ductwork, or plumbing that runs through them. To remove the wall, you’ll need to either move or terminate any of the wall’s interior elements. Especially if you don’t have any experience with construction, it’s smart to have an experienced contractor figure out the best place to move those essential pieces of your home.
Are you prepared for a mess?
Removing a wall is a dusty, messy ordeal, and there’s a lot of cleanup that needs to take place afterward. You need to break the drywall off in pieces to remove a wall, and this creates all kinds of dust! After removing drywall, there still are studs and plates from the wall framing that need to be removed. It’s safest to leave this to a professional who knows their way around removing walls.
If you’ve considered and can answer all of these questions, you’re probably ready to remove a wall in your home! Coming to a contractor with your answers to these questions in mind will help set you up for a successful wall removal to create the bigger space or open floor plan of your dreams.
Looking to renovate, remodel, or build an addition to your home? The Dan Company has a world-class construction team that is ready to take care of everything from painting, carpentry, and handyman needs to your major renovations and additions. With 50+ years of cumulative experience in general contracting, The Dan Company is the place to call when you need a wall removed or any bigger projects tackled. Contact us at (615) 395-6910 and let’s get started!