I am currently renovating a 18C cottage. Currently the bathroom is on the ground floor and I intend to move it upstairs. The plan is then to knock down the joining wall to open the kitchen up. However, there is currently a cold steel joist supporting a timber beam spanning the length of the proposed kitchen.
It is my understanding that the previous owner had a heavy single brick wall upstairs. When the owner moved the bathroom downstairs they put this steel joist in to support the heavy walls above as a wall was removed below. Since then the heavy walls upstairs have been replaced with stud walls thus lightening the load below.
My question....Is it likely that this steel joist can now be removed as it is no longer supporting the heavy wall above?
I was planning to get in touch with a SE. Does anyone have any idea what sort of cost is involved in getting a SE to look at it and the extent of work that is involved? I realise that if it turns out to be supporting i will need building regs.
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