GS Renovation removes load-bearing walls throughout Kentish Town, working in the bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces that line the streets off the main road towards Camden Town and Highgate. With over 30 years of structural experience across NW5, we open up ground floors safely, install engineer-sized steel and leave a clean, certified result.
Reading the structure in Kentish Town terraces
The terraces around Kentish Town were rarely built for open living. The wall between the front reception and the middle room usually carries floor joists and the masonry above, and the closet wing at the rear often adds a second run of load. Before we touch anything, a structural engineer inspects the wall, traces the load path down to the foundations, and confirms exactly what the steel must carry.
Once the wall is confirmed as load-bearing, the engineer sizes an RSJ or a pair of beams to suit the span and the storeys above. In these NW5 terraces the beam typically bears onto concrete padstones at each end, spreading the load into the flank wall and the party wall. We calculate bearings carefully so nothing is overstressed when the old wall comes out.
Safe removal and sign-off in NW5
We prop the floor and ceiling above with adjustable steel props before a single brick is removed, then take the wall down in controlled stages rather than all at once. The beam is lifted into its bearings, seated on the padstones, packed and bolted, and only then is the propping struck. Working in an occupied Kentish Town home, we sheet everything, protect original cornicing and manage the dust as we go.
Removing a load-bearing wall is notifiable under the Building Regulations, not a planning matter, so Camden Council's building control inspects the beam and its bearings and issues the completion certificate. Where the beam bears into the shared party wall with the neighbouring house, the Party Wall Act applies and we serve notice before starting. We handle the engineer, the notices and the inspections from one team.
- Padstones and correct bearing at each end
- 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
Why Choose GS Renovation in Kentish Town
Kentish Town homeowners choose GS Renovation because one accountable team runs the whole job. We arrange the structural engineer's calculations, serve any party wall notices, book Camden building control and carry out the propping and steelwork ourselves. You get correctly sized beams on proper padstones, tidy working in an occupied NW5 home, and full certification, backed by 30+ years.
- 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