Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Aug 26, 2014 8:05 pm Hi Guys, We're building a small custom home in Perth and one of our inclusions when we signed up with the builder (and signed our pre-liminary contracts / plans etc) was recessed shaving cabinets in the ensutie and bathroom. When we got to pre-start and saw the working drawings, instead of recessing the cabinets between the external and internal walls they've built a second internal wall and recessed the cabinets into that...?? Family members who have built with another builder, and who have these cabinets, allowed me access to their plans which clearly show the cabinets recessed between the external and internal brickwork. I've questioned the builder who is now saying they can't do it without a third wall (which completely defeats the purpose of a "recessed" cabinet) because it "substantially affects the structural integrity of the building". Has anyone else had this experience??? Or any builders / drafties or structural engineers out there who can explain how a small shaving cabinet that you can buy from Bunnings and DIY install could possibly have this kind of impact please? If I asked them to replace the cabinet with a window I bet it wouldn't be an issue??!!! Stick a lintel over the top I would have thought??!!! Thoughts / experience?? Thanks!!! Re: Recessed Shaving / Medicine Cabinet - Structural integri 2Aug 27, 2014 10:05 pm I have a brick veneer house with niches in the showers about 400mm x 400mm. I presumed the builder would do it as you described but they said it had to be double framed. Can't remember the reason why though sorry. Re: Recessed Shaving / Medicine Cabinet - Structural integri 3Aug 27, 2014 10:31 pm We are double brick and when putting niches on an internal wall we had to add an extra wall behind the niche (due to having single brick fastwall) but I don't know why you would have to have three walls <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Recessed Shaving / Medicine Cabinet - Structural integri 4Aug 27, 2014 11:03 pm We looked at building a niche in our shower and were told we needed to have a fake (3rd) wall built in so decided to do a 1m high wall/shelf along the back instead so it wouldn't make the shower look too narrow. So must be the norm Our build thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=70984 Re: Recessed Shaving / Medicine Cabinet - Structural integri 6Aug 28, 2014 12:44 pm If its on an external double brick walk you need to have a third brick wall built against the inside of the double brick. Otherwise you can't put in a recess as you would open the wall up to the cavity?! Can't be done without the extra brick wall. Same goes for internal single brick wall...need to add another wall or you would end up with a hole Hi Stuey, think you’ve got a couple of options here you’d just need to decide your preference/which options suits best. You could recess the windows (just keep in… 1 3210 Assuming you've modelled the TB8, TB10, TB12, TB2 & J1 joists/LVLs there, it appears as per drawing to me. There maybe should be an additional J1 between TB10 and T12 if… 3 27700 |