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I want to expand the opening into my under stair area to access shelving easier. I’m not sure if the wall is load bearing and can’t afford a structural engineer. What would be your opinion?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @kimasmith2. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about pantry storage.
If your goal is to open up the space under the stairs for easier access to shelving, you need to be very careful, because the wall under the staircase isn’t just any wall. Even if it’s not load-bearing for the floor or roof above, it is load-bearing for the stairs themselves. The staircase relies on that wall for support, so you can’t just remove it without redesigning how the stairs are held up. To safely open that space, the staircase would need to be tied into the structural timbers above it, which isn’t a simple DIY job and would require a builder or carpenter to redesign the support.
That said, there may be some alternatives to make the pantry more accessible without removing the wall entirely. If you can share a bit more about what you want to achieve, like full-height access or just wider shelving, our members might be able to suggest some clever solutions that don’t compromise the staircase.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hi @kimasmith,
I am 6'2" and would not be comfortable with that shelving arrangement.
I am proposing install another shelf midway between benchtop and first self and... lower the top shelf.
Cheers
