GS Renovation installs RSJs and steel beams across Chadwell Heath, where the RM6 streets are lined with 1930s semi-detached and interwar suburban houses on generous plots. With over 30 years removing load-bearing walls in Barking and Dagenham homes, we handle the engineering, the propping and the building control sign-off from start to finish.
Removing chimney breasts in Chadwell Heath semis
The 1930s semis around Chadwell Heath were built with load-bearing internal walls and substantial chimney stacks, so opening up the ground floor almost always calls for a steel beam. Our structural engineer sizes the RSJ to the actual loads above, then we bear each end onto a concrete padstone spread across the masonry. Nothing comes down until temporary props, needles and strongboys are holding the structure safely overhead.
Removing a chimney breast at ground level leaves the stack above needing support, which we carry on gallows brackets or a dedicated beam depending on what the engineer specifies. Because many Chadwell Heath houses are semi-detached, the stack and the dividing wall frequently sit within a shared party wall, so we serve the correct Party Wall Act notices on your neighbour before any breaking out begins.
Knocking through to open plan in Chadwell Heath
The most common RSJ job we do in RM6 is taking out the wall between the two reception rooms, or between the kitchen and the rear reception, to create one open-plan living space. Interwar houses in Chadwell Heath were laid out as a series of separate boxy rooms, and joining them transforms how families use the ground floor. We plan the beam route so the finished ceiling stays flush and clean.
Every beam we install is signed off by building control, not planning, because this is structural work governed by the building regulations. A Barking and Dagenham Council building control inspector, or an approved inspector, checks the padstones, bearings and beam before we plaster over. We manage the whole sequence, from the engineer's calculations to the temporary propping, the steelwork and making good, so your home stays safe throughout.
- Load-bearing wall removal and knock-throughs
- Structural openings for open-plan living
- Structural engineer calculations and beam sizing
- Building control applications and sign-off
- Temporary propping and safe demolition
Why Chadwell Heath Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Homeowners across Chadwell Heath choose GS Renovation because we treat steel beam work as engineering, not guesswork. One team coordinates the structural engineer, the propping, the party wall notices with your semi-detached neighbour and the building control inspection. With 30+ years in RM6 and the wider Barking and Dagenham area, we leave your home open, level and safe.
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Over 30 years of hands-on experience
- Dedicated project management
- Fully insured and guaranteed work
- Building control and planning support
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople