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(I'm not a builder or structural engineer, so any suggestions are entirely amateur at best)
Knee walls aren't structural as far as I am aware (although if it's an old cottage, I'd say all bets are off), although they do offer additional support.
If you're just taking out one of the uprights, and leaving all the rest, I can't imagine that you're going to be affecting the integrity of your roof.
If there's no header - chuck one in between the surrounding uprights. If there is a header, I reckon you'll be fine.
(But again, I'm not a builder or structural engineer)
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The ‘knee wall’ is probably supporting the purlin (large transverse timber the rafters rest on) the posts you’re seeing may be purlin props/hangers.
Removing one of the studs/posts it probably fine, but if you just need 40mm -put another post in out of the way.
Alternatively you can double up the purlin and remove the knee wall - if you know what you’re doing
If the attics weren’t built as living spaces/bedrooms is likely that the roof had struts and/or collar ties, when these are removed the support for the purlins needs to be beefed up. If the attics were always open rooms then the knee wall was built as part of the roof to support the purlins and in turn the rafters and whole roof.Tldr?
Don’t remove more than one post.
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NotThamesWater
absurdbird
@andos
I have two bedrooms in my attic (the only bedrooms as its a fairly tiny Scottish cottage) - I'm trying to think of clever storage ideas as my daughter gets a little older so does her tendency to want/need things in her room.
I'm thinking about putting some inset storage into the eaves space but am wondering if I can trim/relocate the vertical "joist posts" (no idea if they are called that) to allow for a longer running piece of storage. Theses vertical posts are attached to the roof joists and then the floor joist and are also where the plasterboard is attached - so I'm assuming they are load bearing of some description but I'm thinking I could cut and relocate ~40cm to allow for a nice run of inset storage.
Something like this:
I guess I'm worried about trimming these post incase it has further implications though...thoughts?