Is it possible to demolish walls in a panel house, how to do it correctly, what structures cannot be removed?

Are you considering remodeling your panel house and are unsure about your ability to demolish walls? When looking to customize their living spaces, homeowners frequently ask themselves this question. Because of their prefabricated design, panel houses present particular difficulties for structural alterations. This is a guide explaining what to know, how to do it safely, and which walls are normally off-limits when demolishing walls in a panel house.

Unlike conventional brick or timber homes, panel houses have a unique structural design and are frequently constructed with concrete or prefabricated panels. Not all interior walls in panel houses can be safely removed, even though some can be to make larger rooms or more open floor plans. Prior to beginning any demolition, it is imperative that you comprehend the structural integrity of your house.

It’s critical to recognize load-bearing walls before reaching for the sledgehammer. These walls are essential to preserving the stability of the building because they bear the weight of the structure above them. Load-bearing walls in panel houses are usually found around elevator shafts and stairwells as well as the building’s central axis. If these walls are removed without the right support, there may be collapse or structural damage.

In contrast, non-load-bearing walls can be removed with greater flexibility. These walls are easier to remove because they divide spaces and have no structural value. Their thinner construction and lack of extra supports or connections to the main structure of the building are often enough to identify them.

Seeking advice from a licensed structural engineer or architect is essential when deciding to tear down a wall in a panel house. These experts can evaluate your unique floor plan, determine which walls can be safely taken down, and suggest the best course of action to preserve structural integrity while doing renovations.

Need for dismantling

Undertaking dismantling in rooms composed of different panels, like sandwich, SIP, monolithic, etc., depending on whether significant repairs or development are required. You can increase the room’s size to the necessary proportions by removing the wall that they wish to remove. However, you must ascertain the wall’s purpose before beginning to disassemble it.

Structural walls that bear weight are immovable because they evenly distribute the building’s main load around the whole perimeter.

Any building can be completely destroyed if the main structure is compromised. The thickness of load-bearing walls can reach 400 (mm).

Pie thickness for partition (non-load-bearing) walls can reach up to 120 (mm). They only divide the room space into sections, not carrying the primary weight of the house (rooms). Since there won’t be any damage to the building’s structural components, the partition can be taken down without any issues.

An apartment building’s wall type can be determined by a construction specialist. The general public should be aware that every exterior wall that is visible from the street is structurally load-bearing. An engineering inspection determines the type of wall that remains.

Crucial! It is strictly forbidden to remove load-bearing walls from an apartment in an apartment building because doing so will cause the building to collapse.

Panel walls must be dismantled in order to make room for expansion, in order to fix a mechanical or seismic defect, or in the event that the wall structure—regardless of kind—has experienced significant wear and tear.

In the event that structural walls need to be repaired, strong structural supports should be used to support the main load during restoration.

Load-bearing wall dismantling is a complicated process that calls for the use of specialized tools, mechanisms, and professionalism in construction activities. Therefore, it is best to get in touch with a construction company that offers these services for the repair of structural walls.

All panel types, including wooden, concrete, SIP, sandwich, plasterboard, and others, can be disassembled manually or mechanically. The guidelines in SP 368.1325800.2017 may determine when manual panel wall disassembly is inappropriate. Specifically, it is not required when:

• The planned demolition of a building (here mechanics or arranged “explosions” will quickly deal with the construction site).
• The use of replacement materials of poor quality (if it is planned to replace existing panels with the installation of similar, but low grade).
• Complete destruction of the entire structure beyond repair.

The apartment’s technical plan (house plan) needs to reflect changes to the layout and wall dismantling. Any modifications require approval from your region’s state architect bureau.

In addition, you need to get approval from the BTI or the MFC department that handles housing and architectural matters in order to renovate your home (apartment). The dismantling process can start right away if the authorities say yes.

Is it worth doing it yourself??

If you have the necessary tools, personal time, and a strong desire, you can disassemble it yourself. If a person also wishes to cut costs on hiring a construction team, he or she makes this decision on their own.

Making the decision to consult specialists regarding dismantling issues is regarded as a wise course of action because the company prepares a service agreement, guaranteeing the services, presents the price list, performs calculations and assesses the condition of the walls, develops a thorough work plan that must be adhered to, and introduces the client before beginning work.

The customer does not need to buy additional tools or "collect dust" in the utility room because the professional team already has everything they need. Additionally, companies frequently give bonuses in authorized bodies for dismantling permits. The customer’s personal time is entirely saved by using this method.

The client is then granted the authority to oversee the work’s advancement, establish deadlines for its dismantling, and approve finished actions one step at a time. When working on your own, you will have to make an action plan, schedule the steps, buy the required equipment and supplies, and take safety precautions.

Crucial! The start of top-down work is a prerequisite for the intended panel wall disassembly. The design will be collapsed at the point of beginning work if you begin from below.

Tools and protective equipment

To perform the panel structure disassembly The following gadgets, gear, and safety supplies are required:

• Power tools (drill, grinder, perforator, grinding machine).
• A regular and jack of a hammer, an ax, a metal scrap, a chisel, a mount, a sledgehammer.
• Flatglines, nails, spatula, screwdrivers (cross and ordinary).
• Polyethylene, which covers furniture and floor located nearby.
• Pipe cutter, strooboresis.
• Protection tools for builders (gloves, special glasses, work clothes that cover open areas of the body and the scalp).
• Broat, shovel, scoop, garbage bags, rags, galvanized buckets.
• Industrial vacuum cleaner.

Make sure you have all the tools you need before you begin working, and don goggles, gloves, a hat, and protective work clothes. In order to avoid upsetting your apartment building neighbors with the noise produced during the dismantling process, you should let them know.

Take note! It is important to remember safety precautions when using both conventional and electric tools.

Step-by-step work process

After getting approval to begin construction, buying all necessary tools and accessories, getting ready (unplugging network-connected appliances, turning off nearby pipelines), covering the floor with polyethylene, and moving any furniture that can’t be moved, the disassembly step, which you do by hand, entails the following steps:

1. Remove the decorative layer of the panel wall trim.
2. Start dismantling from the existing opening and upper corner. To do this, strike the wall with a sledgehammer and use a hammer drill. SIP and sandwich panels are easy to dismantle, since the bottom layer of the overlying slab is anchored to the bottom layer. Anchors are unscrewed and removed. Use a chisel and hammer to open the seams and break the lock joint. The slabs are pulled out one by one from the structure, which then also needs to be disassembled.
3. Before breaking down a partition or load-bearing wall, it must be moistened with water. At the same time, glass and plasterboard structures are removed if they belong to the interior opening.
4. Wooden panels can be disassembled using a screwdriver, nail puller, hammer, screwdrivers. It is necessary to unscrew the screws, remove nails and disassemble the entire structure.
5. Then they carefully disassemble the frame where the panels were attached, except for reinforced concrete slabs, which do not have it.
6. After breaking the panels, all garbage is packed into bags.
7. The dismantling area is swept and cleaned with a special industrial vacuum cleaner.

Load-bearing walls cannot be disassembled and are currently undergoing repairs. For example, restoration work following a natural disaster can only be completed with the use of equipment, the installation of supports, and engineering control.

Difference for private houses and apartments

In actuality, panel wall removal in homes and apartments doesn’t involve any unique techniques or technologies. Any actions related to space expansion have to be recorded in the technical data sheet (design documentation).

It is forbidden to demolish load-bearing walls because doing so could cause an apartment building or a private home to collapse. Redevelopment shouldn’t compromise the stability of the structure and jeopardize home safety.

When a building is being demolished, a private home is completely disassembled. This work is done with specialized mechanized transportation.

Apartment disassembly is done by hand with specialized tools rather than by machine.

Permission from the house committee is not needed for dismantling in a private residence, and housing inspection certificates are necessary in apartments.

Getting rid of construction waste in your home is simpler. They are transported by specially hired freight transport, either packed in bags or thrown out in bulk. This presents an issue in apartments. Not all residents will appreciate the noise, dust, and dirt in the entrance, which needs to be cleaned in addition to the dismantling site. You will need to take the bags to the trash can.

A private or multi-unit building demolition requires fencing off the site (GOST 23407).

Reference: It is not required to get permission from authorities in order to demolish and disassemble a private residence on an existing foundation, particularly if the replacement structure will have comparable features. But, the BTI’s approval is unquestionably required when selecting a new foundation.

Complexities and errors

The following are some potential challenges and mistakes when removing walls from panels:

1. The work is not coordinated with the local administration. May lead to large administrative fines established by current legislation.
2. Absence of a project and work plan. If the technological sequence of the work process is not defined, this can lead to difficulties. All actions must be described in detail in the project.
3. No inspection of the apartments between which the apartment being renovated is located. Here attention is paid to the load-bearing capacity of the wall, so as not to disrupt the overall design of the floors.
4. Lack of conclusions on the condition of structural walls. Can lead to problems with housing inspections, fines, and destruction of the building. Requires a detailed inspection, description and engineer’s opinion.
5. Using a drill and grinder with diamond cutting. It is advisable to use them only in extreme cases, when a section of the wall is difficult to remove. The panels must be separated at the joints – this makes them easier to separate.
6. The start of dismantling is not from top to bottom, but vice versa. This approach can destroy the wall and injure the builder or home owner.
7. Lack of definition of the purpose of the wall. This is the most important point. Dividing walls into load-bearing and partition walls is of great importance for all types of houses, especially apartment buildings. Avoiding destruction is the basis of engineering inspection of wall panels of any type.

When the procedures outlined in SP 368.1325800.2017 are strictly followed, working with panel wall structures should not present any challenges.

Crucial! A load-bearing wall can only be taken down with the approval of the relevant authorities and needs to be done so by qualified professionals from a construction company using the right tools, equipment, and know-how.

Average price for demolition

In the Russian Federation, the average cost of tearing down panel walls depends on:

• required scope of work;
• project complexity;
• costs associated with the delivery of tools and a team of workers;
• urgency of the order;
• time of year (prices are more expensive in winter);
• region (region).

Russian companies’ price lists indicate that dismantling work typically costs between 100 and 120 rubles per square meter. In the Moscow Region and St. Petersburg, dismantling can cost between 180 and 250 rubles per square meter. Construction companies frequently offer their clients programs and discounts in order to give them all a little extra cash.

Contractors charge 80 rubles per square meter for their services, but they don’t guarantee the quality of the work they do. Furthermore, the property owner will be responsible for overseeing the full extent of the process in accordance with the plan.

We examine the guidelines and practical considerations for wall demolition in panel houses in this article. We examine the viability of these projects, highlighting the appropriate procedures to guarantee structural integrity and safety. We clarify which walls can be safely removed and which cannot, clearing up common misunderstandings and legal restrictions. By providing a clear understanding of the intricacies involved, these crucial elements will enable homeowners and renovators to make well-informed decisions when organizing renovations in panel-built homes.

Useful video

A video describing which panel houses walls can be removed:

Of course! This is a succinct wrap-up for your article about wall demolition in panel houses:

Because of the structural features of panel houses, wall demolitions must be done with great caution. It is important to realize that not every wall can be safely taken down. Never demolish a load-bearing wall without first consulting a structural analyst and obtaining professional advice, as these walls bear the weight of the building or other parts of the structure. The stability and structural integrity of the entire building depend on these walls.

It is imperative to seek advice from structural engineers or architects who specialize in panel houses when planning any demolition work. They are able to evaluate the precise arrangement of your structure and determine which walls support weight. This knowledge aids in assessing whether removing non-load-bearing walls is feasible while maintaining the house’s structural integrity.

With careful preparation and execution, it might be possible to remove non-load-bearing walls, such as partition walls separating rooms. Even so, care should be taken during these demolitions to prevent unforeseen issues like harming HVAC, plumbing, or electrical systems that are incorporated into the walls. Maintaining the functionality and safety of your home requires making sure that utilities are moved or rerouted correctly.

In conclusion, even though it could be alluring to remove walls in a panel house to create more space, doing so is a task that calls for skill and careful planning. Safety should always come first, and you should speak with experts who can offer advice specific to your home’s design. You can accomplish your remodeling objectives while maintaining the panel house’s safety and structural integrity by doing this.

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