GS Renovation removes load-bearing walls throughout Ealing, from the bay-fronted Victorian terraces of Hanwell to the Edwardian villas around Walpole Park. With over 30 years of structural work across W5, W7, W13 and the wider borough, we open up cramped period rooms safely, insert engineered steel and leave the space sound.
Load-bearing walls in Ealing terraces
The bay-fronted terraces that line so many W5 and W13 streets were built room-by-room, with solid masonry spine walls carrying the floor joists and the wall above. When you want to lose the wall between a front and back reception, that spine is almost always doing structural work, so we never start on assumption. A structural engineer inspects the wall, calculates the loads and specifies the steel before a single brick moves.
Ealing's Edwardian and Victorian stock also hides surprises: rear closet wings and side returns often bear onto the wall you want gone. The engineer sizes the RSJ to suit, cast or supply padstones for it to bear onto at each end, and set out temporary props so the floors above stay supported while we cut. The beam goes in, the props come out in sequence, and the load transfers cleanly.
Building control sign-off across Ealing
Removing an internal load-bearing wall is governed by the Building Regulations, not planning permission. That distinction matters: unless your home is listed or you are altering the exterior in an Ealing conservation area, you do not apply for planning to take out an internal wall. What you do need is building control approval, and Ealing Council's building control team, or an approved inspector, checks the propping, the beam and the padstone bearings before signing off.
We handle that process end to end so you are never chasing paperwork. The engineer's calculations are submitted, we book the inspections at the right stages, and the notifiable work is recorded and certified. In a terrace where the spine wall meets the party wall shared with next door, we also confirm whether the Party Wall Act is triggered and serve notice on the neighbour where it is.
How the party wall process actually runs
Serving notice is not a formality and it has its own timetable. A notice for work to a party structure must be served at least two months before work starts, and the adjoining owner has fourteen days to respond. If they consent in writing, that is the end of it. If they dissent, or simply say nothing at all, a dispute is deemed to have arisen and surveyors are appointed to produce an award before work can begin.
The award sets out what may be done and when, and it usually includes a schedule of condition recording the state of the neighbour's property beforehand, which protects both sides if a crack appears later. An adjoining owner cannot stop reasonable work, but they can affect the timing, so notices go out early in the programme. We coordinate notices and surveyors alongside the engineer's design so nothing ends up waiting on paperwork.
- Padstones and correct bearing at each end of the opening
- Ceiling reinstatement and level correction across the opening
- Dust screens and floor protection through occupied rooms
- Joist ends supported where the wall carried the floor above
- Temporary propping, needling and staged demolition
Why Choose GS Renovation in Ealing
Ealing homeowners choose GS Renovation because one accountable team runs the whole job: engineer's design where the spine meets a shared wall, building control booked and signed off, and steel installed with proper propping and padstones. We work tidily in occupied W5 and W7 homes, protect your floors and finishes, and back it all with 30+ years across the borough.
- Building control applications and inspections coordinated for you
- Site left safe and secure at the end of every day
- Paperwork and certificates handed over for when you sell
- Aftercare and snagging support once the job is finished
- Downstand and flush beam options priced at quotation stage
- Pipework, cables and radiators diverted before demolition