DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all. I'm doing some renovations on my kitchen/dinning room (1890 mid terrace property) but in one corner of the room the base of the stairs creates a dark and low ceiling space. I've removed the plaster to see what was underneath and have exposed a large frame that is the culprit for jutting out into the room and making the corner dark. I would like to remove this frame and plasterboard under the stairs, following their shape. I believe this would give more headspace and make that corner less oppressive to look at.

I'm not sure of the purpose of the frame though. By the looks it is more cosmetic than structural, just being used to hide the under stairs area. I can't see anything which would imply it's taking some of the weight of the stairs, forming some kind of structural support but I'm just not sure. I've attached some pictures of it to give an idea but I would appreciate some advice as to whether the frame is something I can remove or I will just have to keep.

Hi MrNewbieRenovator,
In theory the stairs should be supported top and bottom, but this is only the theory! Find out more about it here:

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/stairbuilding.htm

Looking at your photos it looks like frame has been built to support the plaster work, however I would recommend that you look closely at the supports that are on the underside of the frame, as they look as though they might be structural - it is very hard to tell from the picture.