# Forum Home Renovation Demolition  What kind of wall is this?

## CMelton

Hi Guys, 
I'm doing some renovations to a flat I've just bought and as part of the process I want to take down a wall between my bathroom and toilet to make it one big room with a nice bathroom suite etc. (This will also allow me to reconfigure other areas of the flat as it will remove the need for a separate door). 
I have cut away some plaster between the two rooms expecting to find a hollow timber frame wall clad in plaster board + plaster but I have found what seems to be a plaster reinforced cardboard wall... 
It seems the construction of the wall is as follows: 
Layer 1 - Thin layer of cardboard (behind lining paper)
Layer 2 - Plaster
Layer 3 - Thin layer of cardboard
Layers 4 - 6 repeat as above
Layers 7 - 9 repeat as above 
Additional info: 
The cardboard layers are stuck together with bits of plaster here and there
There does not appear to be a paramount wall lattice structure anywhere in the wall
The whole wall is about 2 - 2.5 inches thick 
Can anyone tell me what kind of wall this is and whether it might be load bearing?  If possible I'd like to avoid getting a structural engineer round to take a look! 
I've attached a couple of pictures which I hope can help (Click to embiggen).  Looking forward to hearing your input.

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## Oldsaltoz

That looks like an early version of sound proofing sheeting, no uncommon around toilets. 
Good luck and fair winds.   :Smilie:

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## CMelton

> That looks like an early version of sound proofing sheeting, no uncommon around toilets.

  Hi Oldsaltoz 
Do you think its load bearing?

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## Random Username

You say its a flat - what's the body corporate stance on internal renovations like the one you are thinking of?  (they would also have plans which might tell you if the wall is taking load or is a bracing wall). 
As far as loadbearing goes...we're an Australian based forum, so there may not be many people here familiar with that product.  And if it is, as it looks, a soundproofing board, there can be issues in removing it if it increases sound transmission to other residences around you.

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## woodbe

If it were me, I'd retain the separate toilet unless there is a second toilet in the flat. Anyone who has lived in a flat with two people will understand why. Given the nature of that wall, it kind of indicates that a previous reno might have separated the toilet from the bathroom to improve the utility of the flat - now you want to take it back? 
I can't imagine those panels are loadbearing, but that doesn't mean the wall structure isn't. Check carefully...

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