Looking into removing internal door and window

Unicorn15 · Post by **Unicorn15** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 5:18 pm

Hello, o am hoping someone will be able to advise whether what we want to do will be possible/ not break the bank. We live in a 1970s council built house and ideally want to remove the door to our lounge and internal window next to it. There appears to be some sort of metal pin coming out of the concrete floor into the wooden door frame on the centre part of the structure. Attached is a photo of what we have and what we would like to achieve!

Thank you in advance for your help

Unicorn15

Neelix · Post by **Neelix** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 5:47 pm

Is there a socket above the metal “pin” as you describe it?

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 5:48 pm

Unicorn15!

By the look of it, the door frame is unlikely to be supporting the ceiling above, but you should check - if you are able to lift a floorboard above it? When you do this, which way do the floorboards run, in relation to the frame? If they run at right-angles you should be OK (that means the joists run with the frame), if the boards run with the frame then the joists will be at right-angles to it. You really ought to investigate this first, either way you should be aware that you are going to have to make good the ceiling.

Can you tap the panel below the window with your knuckles, hopefully it will sound hollow and it probably will (easy) and not solid (more work!).

Finally, the metal rod in the floor is there to stop the doorway moving should it be clobbered by a piece of furniture being moved, or an inebriated rugby player falling against it. Remove the woodwork and the panel, if the rod won't pull out of the floor cut it off with an angle grinder or multitool.

Also be very careful with those water pipes - you'll possibly need to box those in.

Good luck & let us know how you get on!

Unicorn15 · Post by **Unicorn15** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 6:26 pm

Thank you :) the 'wall' sounds hollow when tapped and I'm sure it wouldn't take much to go through it

we plan to get the pipes boxed in to neaten everything up. The angled piece of wall near the pipes has to remain as the main waste water pipe is in there :) The floor above has floorboards which run across where the doorframe downstairs is, there is not a joist directly over it , I have attached a photo of what it looks like upstairs, the white line is where the doorway is in relation to the upstairs floor... The width we would like to remove is the white area and continues into the cupboard outside the bathroom, the red lines show the way floorboards run. We would ideally want the opening created downstairs to be framed with wood so it looks more even than it does now (the side where the door is has a wide piece of wood, the side where the window is has a piece of wood approx 1.5 inches wide

at least this sound like it will be achievable, just have to hope it won't be too expensive

arco_iris · Post by **arco_iris** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 6:43 pm

In that case I think you'll be fine!

A few pieces of timber won't cost the earth, it's more about labour time, making good and decorating.

Unicorn15 · Post by **Unicorn15** » Sat Jul 03, 2021 6:55 pm

Just what I wanted to hear

decorating isn't an issue as that's planned anyway and we won't put the flooring down until this is all sorted. Will be worth it to finally be rid of this door and rather odd internal window, it will make the hallway so much lighter too :)