Minimum width for internal apartment wall (not load-bearing)

dos101

Hello.

I have a 20-year-old apartment in Dublin 7 and want to fit a double bed against a wall that is only 6' 1" wide. A standard double bed is 6'3" so I need an extra 2 inches (50mm).

There is a concrete exterior wall at one end of the area where I want to put the bed and an interior non-load-bearing stud wall at the other end. That interior stud wall separates the bedroom from the bathroom. There is no plumbing or wiring in that stud wall.

I would only need the extra 2 inches for a 4.5 foot section of the stud wall. Is it possible to reduce the width of that stud wall by any amount at all? Even one inch would make a difference.

What is the minimum required width for interior apartment walls?

Many thanks,
Dave

dusteeroads

Buy a customized bed - will be a lot cheaper

dos101

Hi Dustee,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did consider that but I am 6' 1" tall and don't think I could handle having a shorter bed than the industry standard. I know what I am proposing will cost more but I don't mind paying extra if I could get it done at all.

Gumbo

dos101 wrote: »

Hi Dustee,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did consider that but I am 6' 1" tall and don't think I could handle having a shorter bed than the industry standard. I know what I am proposing will cost more but I don't mind paying extra if I could get it done at all.

Its not about the cost. It may be impossible. Behind the plasterboard is timber studs that you cannot cut.

wassie

Theres no minimum width as such, rather width will be dictated by physical construction constraints. What the OP is asking is possible, as always its a matter of cost. I would have concerns however in having an ultra thin wall type could result in a high level of noise transmission between rooms. I'll leave that up to your own imagination as to what that means!

dos101

Thank you both for your input.

I have a new proposal. The wall is 2.17 metres long (7' 2"). What if I take out the old stud wall completely, move it in one inch, make it one inch thinner. I would make sure it is strong and well insulated. The standard 4" x 2" stud would be replaced with metal studs and the 4" cavity becomes an insulated 3" cavity. Would that work?

I get that its a tonne of work for small gain but I have an idea in my head for that room and I'm willing to go all out to get it. As someone that worked on construction for many years I could do a lot of the work myself (no electrics or plumbing involved).

I am concerned about regulations, especially fire regulations. Is there a minimum thickness requirement for apartment dividing walls?

Dudda

I’m presuming it’s a 30 minute fire wall. You can compare different wall build up’s here:

Timber: https://www.gyproc.ie/sites/default/files/Non-loadbearing%20timber%20stud.pdf
Metal: https://www.gyproc.ie/sites/default/files/GypWall.pdf

You can get thinner 30 minute fire walls but they reduce in acoustic performance.

I think this is going to be a massive job logistically (if you want to do it by the book which is what I'd strongly recommend). If you go messing in an apartment building with fire walls then you’ll have to get the apartment management approval and they’re not likely to approve anything unless you’ve a fire certificate or letter from a fire consultant signing off on what your at. They'll want proper deflection heads, fire stopping details, etc. Priory Hall springs to mind.

dos101

Hey Dudda,

Yeah, the fire regulations in apartments are significant. In addition to the change I outlined above I want to remove an arch that separates the kitchen cubby form the living room (makes the kitchen so dark, awful design from the 90s) and move two doors to facilitate making the fitted kitchen larger. I agree 100% that these things should be done by the book Dudda, and should be certified.

@kceire, @wassie, @Dudda, what would you advise as a next step, do I need to speak to a builder or an engineer or a fire certification person?

DvB

dos101 wrote: »

Hey Dudda,

Yeah, the fire regulations in apartments are significant. In addition to the change I outlined above I want to remove an arch that separates the kitchen cubby form the living room (makes the kitchen so dark, awful design from the 90s) and move two doors to facilitate making the fitted kitchen larger. I agree 100% that these things should be done by the book Dudda, and should be certified.

@kceire, @wassie, @Dudda, what would you advise as a next step, do I need to speak to a builder or an engineer or a fire certification person?

Firstly, I'd see i I could get a copy of the fire safety certificate drawings for the building. Not all apartment internal walls are fire rated, it depends on the fire safety strategy employed & design of the building. Quite often its the walls separating the kitchen from the bedrooms & the walls forming the hallway that are fire rated, so the wall you describe may not have a requirement to be fire rated simplifying the scope of works.
So before doing anything I'd confirm what it is you intend to modify prior to looking at what options are available to you & the implications of carrying them out in accordance with building regulations.

dos101

Thank you DvB, that sounds like good advice!