What would the average cost be of removing a wall between a kitchen and living room?
Answers:
That depends on whether it is a supporting wall. If it is supporting the roof or the floors above even partially, you can not remove the wall without substantial modification to the surround walls and ceiling.
Other answers:
about nothing, to do it yourself, easy,too
about nothing, to do it yourself, easy,too
ok uk prices - you do the math 2 blokes for a day £200
a skip £180 hire of tools e.g scaffold to hold the celing up and a lintel - say £100.
no way to determine that without seeing the wall and determining if it can be removed without major structural changes to complete the job properly. to chop out a wall can be as little as 250 or as much as 2500 no real way to tell until you get some estimates. your best bet is a handy man.yellow pages.
If it is a load bearing wall and has electrical conduit--it will be expensive.
If not you could knock it out yourself or have someone do it cheaply..
Home remodeling: Wall bored? Tear it down
Spring's the time most homeowners begin projects
By Gwen Schoen -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, February 25, 2006
Story appeared in Cal life section, Page CL7
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What is it about springtime that makes a man want to start knocking down walls in his house?
Kent Eberle gets a big laugh out of the question.
"Taking out a wall is probably our most common remodel project," he says. Although Eberle has never been able to connect the weather or the return of robins with a man's desire for demolition, he does say that spring is a popular time to begin a remodel project.
"It has more to do with needing more space or improving a view than anything else," said Eberle, president of Eberle Remodeling and chairman of the board of the Greater Sacramento Valley chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. With all the walls that need to come down, Eberle, whose specialty is kitchen and bath remodels, is a busy man this time of year. He did pause long enough to give us some insight on home-improvement projects going on around town.
Q: What is the most popular home remodel project in the Sacramento area?
A: Wall removal in conjunction with a kitchen remodel, such as opening up a kitchen to other rooms in the house to create a great room. Also removing walls to create a view to a back yard.
Q: What would something like that cost?
A: It's all over the map, but an average would be anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000. Much of the cost is driven by the products you choose.
Q: Are people doing these types of remodel to older homes rather than moving to a newer, more updated house?
A: A lot of people are quite happy with the location and the basic design of their homes; they just need a little more space or some updating of areas that take a lot of wear, like kitchens and bathrooms. They use the equity in their homes to finance updating projects, whereas a new construction might not be affordable.
Q: If you are a do-it-yourselfer, do you really need a contractor?
A: It's tough to be a master of all things. You might know about construction, but not designing a layout. We repair a lot of projects that didn't work out.
Q: What types of things have you had to fix?
A: It's amazing what folks will do even when they have no idea how to do it. We've seen people undertake a wall removal on their own, not realizing it was a load-bearing wall and everything starts to buckle.
Probably the most common thing people do is try to build on top of patios in the back yard. They think the concrete is already there so they just add walls. Then they have water damage and dry-rot. Or they have a runoff problem from a flat roof. People will try just about anything to meet their needs for additional space.
Q: What project will best update an older home?
A: Kitchen and bath remodels. Obviously these rooms get the most use and they typically deteriorate and become aged the fastest. The kitchen is where people spend the most time. It's a gathering space and it really is the driver that gets most people wanting to remodel.
Q: Do people who don't cook remodel kitchens?
A: All the time. It all goes back to that need for a gathering place. The kitchen truly is the hub or the center of the house. And even if you don't cook, you still need to microwave food and have espresso.
Q: What are some of the trends in kitchen remodeling?
A: Everything. It just depends on the style of house you have and your own personal taste. The real problem is that it's a huge task to narrow down the options. Professional remodelers and designers can help you do that.
I tell people to put their money into the things they use the most - the refrigerator, the dishwasher, the faucet. If you need to, cut corners on the other things, but the stuff you use most frequently will cause you the most irritation if they are not right.
Q: What homework should you do before calling in the professionals?
A: The more you know about the type of project you are undertaking, the greater your opportunity for a successful project. Know as many of the details as you can before you get into the construction. Everything has a cost. Try to identify every piece of the pie and you will avoid many of the problems and the surprises.
Find the right professional help. Some people hire designers, then shop for a contractor. Some companies design and build. If you want to do part of the project yourself, you may have problems finding a contractor who will work with you.
Q: Are some people addicted to remodeling?
A: Not so much addicted, but many people have homes that need a lot of work and they don't have the money or the desire to do it all at once. They do their remodeling projects in stages so it just seems like they are addicted.
We do run into what we call "the creep." That's when people begin with a kitchen design and it creeps into the entry, the family room and the laundry room. The kitchen floor looks good so they decided to do the family room floor, too, which leads to new paint and new baseboards. A simple addition could mean adding an electrical panel, a whole new heating and air conditioning system or even a new roof. It just doesn't seem to stop.
Q: Ever come across husbands and wives who don't agree? And what do you do about it?
A: Well, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Recently I talked with a couple about a tile floor. She wanted it on diagonal and he wanted a traditional block pattern. I sided with her because I knew if she wasn't happy, nobody in the house would be happy. And I really thought it would look more aesthetically interesting on a diagonal.
Q: Are men generally more concerned about price and women about appearances?
A: Not necessarily. We do run into quite a few men who want a showcase and a lot of men cook, so they are very particular about the kitchen.
About the writer:
The Bee's Gwen Schoen can be reached at (916) 321-1146 or gschoen@sacbee.com.