Longtime lurker first time poster so thank you for all the info i've received so far browsing this forum.

Closing on this house in beginning of january ( first home) and have this giant weird shelf. I want to take it out and it is not load bearing just decorative.

Should I just sledgehammer it down or use a reciprocating saw to tear it apart and then work on the weird columns/repairing drywall?

Also the kitchen wall I would like to take out/ trim so just the bottom is an island like open kitchen but Im not sure if it is a load bearing wall this house was designed by a architect who wanted to try to make a house as complicated as possible. What would be a good way to tell if it is load bearing( I want to demo from beginning of wetbar to the end of the doorway to make it just open)

Thanks for all your help and taking the time to read this, Im sure this has been asked/answered plenty of times but thru all my searching I must have missed it.


Pic of area:

 

Welcome to the forums Alex!

Sledgehammers make for good TV but your less likely to cause unnecessary damage if you cut first.
Do you have access to the attic above the kitchen wall? It's probably not a load bearing wall but you need to investigate further.

 

Starting at the top, use a pry bar to remove the shelf board by board. Easier to clean up this way.

 

I wonder if it could be a tie to hold the walls together?

 

While going at stuff with a sledge hammer/wrecking bar can be quite therapeutic at times, it isn't always the best method for dis-assembly. I also vote for systematic destruction. Easier cleanup as already mentioned, and stuff doesn't go flying and damage stuff you didn't want to.

 

100% sure for some strange reason someone did not run wiring through it?

 

I'm with wildbill, go slow with the destruction, a picture would be helpfull. The load bearing part should become clear when the wall is exposed and you expose some of the ceiling joists and find out which way the ceiling is running.

 

The more I look at it, there's got to be a reason for that being there other than 'faux' room separation. Like Joe said, perhaps wiring is running through it?

 

Oops, just saw the picture, definitely not load bearing, could be plumbing vent in box.

 

The large chases(?) at the ends are what would concern me on the faux wall. Are you sure you want to remove it? It's a great place for plants, nicknacks, displays, etc...w/o taking any real usable space away from the room. And the design of the kitchen wall with the angled entry also make me wonder. Much depends on how the roof trusses are designed and installed.

It hasn't been said yet, but if you could get blueprints and have them reviewed by an engineer/architect with your changes in mind, that would be the best thing. Next would be to pay to have one of them come out and look in the attic and determine what can be done.

It's pretty hard even for the Pro's here to give an informed opinion from just one picture.

 

Thanks for all the replies, I knew sledgehammer would be fun. The mess does not concern me, I close on the house early january planning to move in middle of march and inbetween work on tile paint etc.

The first wall with the shelf thingy does not have any wiring or plumbing or anything to it nor do any columns support weight or are necessary. Should be an easy teardown just have to move one light outlet from right column five inches to make it against the regular wall.

Kitchen Wall should be ok to tear down since i'm not messing with the joints, would just have to add support to ceiling?

Here is pic of what I want to do/area I want torn down.


Here is pic of front of house that's why the house has weird walls for the nook area??