After removing a wall the floor now creaks when walking around in the rooms above. What would cause this?

Question

The wall removed was a studded wall with a archway, which we didn't believe to be weight bearing. When removed the beams ran across it. Through the center of the house is a steel beam running across from one side to the other into the top of the staircase. The beams in the front of the house run from the the front wall into the steel beam. At the back of the house the beams run from side to side in the same direction as the steel beam. Now the wall has gone the floor, when walking in the rooms above were the wall was there is a creaking sound. Not sure if this is coming from the floor or the wall upstairs which was directly above the one we removed. Is this just the wood beams adjusting to a bit of movement or will the floor collapse?

Answer 1

Well now that you have taken out the support for the upper room and the rooms or roof above that. you may see over time the ridge of the roof may sag or you may see the floor sag, I would try to install a header to give support back. the reason the floor is making a noise is cause the wood is rubbing together everytime you walk on it.

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Answer 2

Did the wall with the arch in it  you removed have a solid piece of wood acting as a beam over the arch as this would be carrying the load and then be a loaded wall, and if so then put something back in there. Sometime the flooring nails are become loose and when you walk on it the flooring rubs on the nail and makes a creeking sound. Punch nails or better to s***w down.

Answer 3

did you have building permission to remove this wall. if you did not you are in a lot of trouble. for a start no insurance.

I suspect that it was a load bearing wall.  the floor joist are now spanning to far. you will have to do something about it.

get an structural engineer to check it out

Answer 4

its probly loose florr boards you may have to add in a couple of extra nails Good Luck

Answer 5

You mentioned the upstairs wall being right above the wall that you removed. UH OH. This could have been a load bearing wall . Chances are your upstairs wall has ceiling joist resting on it - so this load, prior to you removing the first floor wall, was transferred down to it.

You may need to install a structural header where this wall was. These are called "lvl's "laminated veneer lumber".

They come typically in 1-3/4" thickness. You would need to provide two support studs at each end and then double up two thicknesses of this lvl - if your wall is thicker than that fur it out with wood 1" and drywall to match wall thickness.

I would use 11 -7/8" height for any span of 8' or less, and 14" height for any span over 8' up to 12'.

Over that - you need to have a structural engineer look at it.

Answer 6

Don't panic! First, stud walls are not load bearing in brick houses.

The floor joists above may have been resting on the top of the studs and as such will now be settling a bit, nothing to worry about. Give it a couple of months and then s***w all the upstairs floor boards down to the joists and hopefully this will do the trick. You can, if you want, unscrew what's there and sprinkle talc between the boards as this also helps with squeaks.

Secondly, you do NOT need planning permission to change a stud wall. Check with your local building  inspector if not sure, the number will be in the 'Phone Book.

Answer 7

By your question, it sounds as if you removed a weight bearing wall that was on the back side of the house (where the floor joists ran in the same direction as the steel beam.

Was this wall mid-way in the house?  I bet it was.

At a minimum, you're going to have to install a support from the steel beam, to the back wall where the wall was.

To save ceiling height, this can be steel.   If you've got sufficient height, some engineered lumber will work.

You MUST get a structural engineer to do a load calculation to properly size either one.

You may end up getting large cracks in the plastered walls upstairs, if the house settles too much.

People have gotten killed removing what they THOUGHT were non-load bearing walls.   Consider yourself lucky.

PS- You don't mention anything about it being a brick house?