We've not had a "Cheer" for a while. They're an endangered species these days y'know.
Anyway - today I had that rarest of phenomena, the job that (should!) turn out to be simpler than I envisaged.
Feltwell Towers has a stupidly small family bathroom, but if I can move a wall by just 18" I'll be able to turn the bath by 90 degrees, get a wider bath and actually have a space where the loo can go so that you're not wedged between the bath and a wall! It'll make the room much more useable, and whilst the adjoining en-suite bathroom is already not the biggest it can be 18" shorter and still be perfectly tolerable. They are all looking sad and need refitting so now is the time to bite the bullet and do it.
After some earlier investigations I concluded that the bathroom wall in question was indeed structural, supporting the floor of the attic room above. Things were further complicated by not wanting to leave a supporting pier on one side of the new wall opening.
Today a Structural Engineer came out and has already phoned me back to say that a 150 x 100 timber will do fine - easier for me than a steel, I can lift this in myself - no pier on one side is no issue, just get a 6" bearing into the external wall, and I don't even need to insert padstones for the loading I'll have!
So, it's hire a couple of acros to temporarily support the floor above and start bashing away!
Whilst he was here I got him to review another job for the future that I have planned, he confirmed it's possible to do what I want to do and he's not even charging me any extra for the calcs for Building Control for this.
Hurrah!
I have of course now put the mockers on it all and the job will be a nightmare I'm sure, but hey ho........
