BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RENOVATION Part 7: Remodelling the layout

Our modern lifestyles tend to require very different room layouts to that of our ancestors and it is not at all unusual for renovators of old properties to find themselves faced with a maze of small, dark rooms, long corridors and downstairs bathrooms, added on as an afterthought some time in the 1950s. Small kitchens are another common issue to be tackled, with this room now being high up on the list of priority projects.

For this reason, it is common for renovators to want to move walls, doorways and windows around, relocate key spaces and add new areas. Here we cover several of the most common jobs undertaken as part of a remodelling project.

Removing internal walls

Knocking down internal walls is one of the top jobs undertaken by those tackling a renovation, allowing for the existing layout to be opened up, and for light to reach into areas of the house it previously couldn’t. Removing walls will also be necessary when incorporating an extension into an existing house.

But before you take to any wall wielding a sledgehammer, you need to be sure that the walls you plan on removing are not holding anything else up — these are structural walls, the removal of which needs to be undertaken with care.

Any wall being removed needs to be assessed to see whether it is load-bearing (structural) or just there to