GS Renovation removes load-bearing walls across Catford, working in the bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces that fill SE6. With more than 30 years of structural experience in Lewisham, we take out solid dividing walls safely, drop in a properly sized steel beam and open up the ground floor of your period home.
Load-bearing walls in Catford's terraces
The terraces around Catford were built with solid brick spine walls that carry the floor joists above, so the wall between the front reception and the middle room is almost always structural. Before we touch anything, a structural engineer inspects the wall, works out the load path down to the foundations and sizes an RSJ to carry what the wall is holding.
Many SE6 houses have a rear closet wing and a side return, which changes how the loads travel and where the beam has to bear. We account for that when we position the steel, then cast or set concrete padstones at each end so the beam bears onto solid masonry rather than crushing the surrounding brickwork.
Safe removal and sign-off in SE6
We never knock a load-bearing wall out in one go. The floor above is held on Acrow props and strongbacks while we remove the brickwork in controlled stages, lift the steel into place onto its padstones and pin it up tight before the props come down. It is slower, but it keeps the rest of the house stable throughout.
Removing an internal load-bearing wall is notifiable under the Building Regulations, not planning permission, so Lewisham Council's building control inspects the work and signs it off. Where the spine wall meets the shared party wall with your neighbour, the Party Wall Act applies and we serve the notices before we start.
- Knock-throughs between reception rooms
- Making good, plastering and finishing
- Building control sign-off and party wall notices
- Assessment of whether a wall is load-bearing
- Structural engineer calculations and beam sizing
Why Catford Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Catford homeowners choose GS Renovation because one accountable team handles the whole job: the engineer's beam calculations, party wall notices, building control sign-off and the physical work. We prop and remove safely in an occupied house, keep dust down with sheeting and floor protection, and leave a clean opening, backed by 30+ years across Lewisham.
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Over 30 years of experience
- Dedicated project management
- Fully insured and guaranteed work
- Building control and planning support
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople