I’m knocking down a cupboard in the sitting room. Before I get crowbar happy, is there any chance these three 4x2s are holding up the stairs? I hope this is a stupid question!
IMAG0368 by simon.kemp, on Flickr

IMAG0367 by simon.kemp, on Flickr

IMAG0366 by simon.kemp, on Flickr

I would have thought that was just for the boxing.

But I don’t want any responsibility for your stairs falling down.

Absolutely not 😉

Please post video of you knocking it down!

TBH, they shouldn’t be holding the stairs up, but I’m no expert.

Having renovated an old house, anything can be wrong! Give it a wiggle and see if anything moves.

No.

hit it with a hammer and see if you can judge the load it is bearing.

Well, from those pics, at least one of the three bits isn’t holding them up. I’d think the floor joist upstairs was taking most of the load though. They do go to a joist don’t they?

No, its unlikely that they are supporting the stairs. The ceiling joist and wall normally holds up your stairs (if next to a wall).

They are normally fitted like this although this picture shows short newel posts

Thanks all – I should have said that I will in no way hold the stw hive mind responsible if my stairs fall down. I’ve had a closer look and I’m pretty sure it’s ok. I’m going in …

the stairs should and probably will be cut over the stairs trimmer which is the joisted opening formed at the joisting stage of a house build. hope that helps.

No. They’ve just built a cupboard under the stairs to hide the stair soffit as it cuts across your sitting room. Well at least the studwork shouldn’t be holding up the stairs. Of course I wasn’t there when the place was being built, so I can’t guarantee that some muppet didn’t use the studwork to prop up the stairs because they hadn’t cut the string correctly and it’s not hooked onto the joist. But if they’ve done the job properly then that studwork shouldn’t be holding up the stairs. IMO.

[Is the corner of this stud wall holding up my stairs?]
only one way to find out !!!!

Well, the studwork has been removed and the stairs are still there. Thanks again for your help.