GS Renovation removes load-bearing walls across Paddington, from the stucco-fronted terraces near Hyde Park to the converted Georgian and Regency townhouses of W2. With over 30 years of structural work in Westminster, we open up these tall, narrow homes without compromising the masonry above, delivering an engineered steel solution signed off by building control.
Removing a load-bearing wall in Paddington townhouses
Paddington's period stock runs three, four or five storeys, so a wall on the ground floor may be carrying the full weight of the floors and roof above it. Before any work starts we commission a structural engineer to survey the property, confirm what each wall supports and size the steel beam to suit the loads found in these tall W2 homes.
The beam is calculated as an RSJ or a pair of channels, bearing onto padstones that spread the load into the retained masonry. We install temporary props to take the weight, remove the wall in safe stages, then lift the steel into place. The propping stays until the beam is fully bedded, so the structure is never left unsupported for a moment.
Building control and party walls in W2
Removing a load-bearing wall inside a Paddington home is governed by the Building Regulations, not planning permission, so Westminster City Council's building control inspects and certifies the work. Where the property is listed or sits within one of W2's conservation areas, only alterations to the exterior would trigger separate consent; the internal steelwork itself is a building control matter.
Many of these townhouses share a party wall with the neighbouring property, and where a beam bears into that shared wall the Party Wall Act applies. We serve the correct notices on adjoining owners before work begins. From the engineer's calculations to the completion certificate, one GS Renovation team handles every stage in your occupied home.
- 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 Paddington Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Paddington homeowners choose GS Renovation because we run load-bearing wall removal as one accountable job. You get an engineer-sized beam, party wall notices and Westminster building control handled from start to finish, careful propping and staged demolition in a lived-in home, and tidy working throughout, all backed by more than 30 years across W2 and central London.
- 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