hi all

im new here.

i would like to check, if it is advisable to to hack a wall after moved in for >1yr? how is the charges?

this 'corridor' from living room to bedrooms in my house is very dim even during the day. and i have been leaving the standing light on day time....

i have been thinking for ways to brighten the area:-

1. on light 24hr/during day time (am currently doing this, but want to save elect bill now)

2. Hack away the whole wall which is separating the area and the balcony, and make a glass bi-fold door.

3. hack partial wall and do a window panel

if, i really want to hack the wall, anyone has the estimated charges for hacking?

and also, how long it takes for the contractor to complete the job?

Thank you very much!!!

Hi X.H.LI,

Unable to visualize which wall you are intending to hack.... keke .... anyway for your reference,I hacked a 8ft (width) full height wall for abt $220 + $150 for touch up. Not sure if PE endorsement is applicable in your case ... paid $500 for it. And if rewiring of power point is required then have to pay for that as well...Hacking is relatively fast. I hacked 3 walls ... completed within a week.

ha... thanks for your reply

i just want to hack a wall to allow more sunlight in...

=)

wow hacking wall is only $200? wont it be in the thousands?

Also if you property is brand new - is hacking allowed ? or need to wait x-yrs

thanks

hacking a wall is cheap, it's the PE endorsement fee that is expensive

not to forget there'll be debris removal fee too

also, hacking after renovation is completed will bring about several issues

1. the lack of floor tile at the hacked wall

2. the dust generated

3. nearby fixtures that MIGHT be damaged

hacking allowed or not depends on what the PE says

not the age of the property

the only exception is bathroom for brand new hdb flats

three years before hacking of tiles is allowed

If it is just a partition wall or light weight panel, no issue with hacking and removing it.

But if it is a structural wall, it is a no go.

The structural PE will be able to advice you, from the drawing.

hope this helps.

Was thinking of hacking away a kitchen toilet and possibly expanding the living room, but one part of the wall outline is in bold in the floor plan. Are the lines in bold indicative of supporting pillars? If so...err...why still need a PE to come in tell us huh? Sorry for the silly question...

if it's bold then sorry no go

need PE for cases when it's not bold but there is no demarcation

you notice groove lines on the walls? that actually demarcates walls that you can hack compared to those you can't

wa... hack away toilet?

den the pipes how?

anyway for my case, for sure can hack my wall de, cos one of my friends done so. but got this pillar which is not able to hack de.

the pillar is one side of the balcony sliding doors, so its ok with me as i will retain the balcony doors.

another question, (pai sey)

if i only hack half of the wall, from the ceiling down.

meaning i will not need any extra floor tiles liao right?

thanks!

Edited September 30, 200818 yr by X.H.LI

Well, wanted to hack away kitchen toilet and share the new space to expand both living room and kitchen. But because of a pillar, guess it'll just expand the kitchen instead. Pipes not a problem because area will be for laundry use.

yup if you only hack half the wall, no need extra floor tiles

however, if your contractor's worker not skilled

might compromise the integrity of the wall and in time the wall will start to shake then collaspe :jawdrop:

you also have to consider the cost of the debris clearing. whether u hack whole wall or half wall, it is still the same cost. i.e that metal "dustbin" parked at the carpark to contain & transport the debris.

or you can consider using mirrors to reflect light into that area.

Edited September 30, 200818 yr by hihihi

pai sey to say...

in fengshui world

placing a mirror direct facing the door, not good wor... =X

I know I've seen a bunch of questions about hacking a wall cabinet for use on the ground. Obviously this is something that is officially sanctioned by Ikea (it's in the kitchen planner), yet the instructions for doing it don't really exist......I have one of these cabinets in my kitchen and hacked it up a few days ago.......

hi,

wow i dunno that hacking a wall cost so much... need to pay PE..

How about hacking the wall that has been sealed up by previous owner ( the wall originally is a doorway ) ?

do I need to pay for the PE endorsement ?

Edited November 9, 201115 yr by AprizalChia