Often times when homeowners purchase a house, chances are the layout isn't always exactly what they want. Sometimes the space feels to closed in, or maybe rooms are broken up and the owner wants to combine the two rooms for one large open space. That sounds easy enough, just bust a wall down, right? WRONG. A huge mistake some homeowners will make is to assume they can take on a simple demo project on their own and unfortunately the consequences of that can be incredibly costly.
So, what should you do? Hire a licensed contractor! A good, experienced contractor should be able to come in to the home and assess what walls are load bearing and which ones can be easily removed. A load bearing wall is a wall that structural integrity is required to support and weight above, i.e. a second floor or a roof. Something people don't always realize is in order to remove a load bearing wall, a structural engineer must be brought in to figure out what type of beam or other support must be there to ensure the overall structure of the home is sound. Another part of removing a wall is to make sure there are no wires or plumbing being fed through that wall, and if there are how to reroute those lines properly to maintain proper electricity and plumbing in the home.
This is why working with a contractor is so important. A contractor can make sure that the proper workers are brought in for each stage of a wall removal. It is much more difficult and time consuming to try and execute a proper demo and renovation of a space on your own.
Removing a wall in a home can drastically change the overall layout and give it that desired open concept look people try to achieve. Another great part about working with a contractor on this kind of job is that after a space is opened up a contractor can then tell you all of the possibilities to make optimal use out of your new space.
Opening up a wall is literally opening up a whole new world of options for your living space to make your home the custom dream home you have always wanted. Homeowners deserve to have their home fit all of their needs, make sure you hire the right contractors to achieve this goal without breaking the wrong wall or breaking the bank.