GS Renovation installs steel beams and RSJs across New Cross, where the SE14 streets are lined with bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces built around rear closet wings and side returns. With over 30 years of structural experience in Lewisham, we remove load-bearing walls safely and open these period homes up without compromising the fabric above.
Sizing steel beams for New Cross terraces
Every RSJ we fit in New Cross starts with a structural engineer's calculation, not a guess. In these Victorian and Edwardian terraces the ground-floor spine wall usually carries the first-floor joists, the chimney breast and part of the roof, so the beam has to be sized for those exact loads. We set the steel onto concrete padstones spread across sound brickwork, giving the bearing the strength it needs at each end before any masonry is removed.
Because SE14 houses were built with solid walls rather than cavities, the loads travel straight down through the original London stock brick. We check the pockets we cut, confirm the padstone size against the engineer's figures, and only then transfer the weight onto the new beam. Getting the bearing right at this stage is what keeps the floors above level and the plaster crack-free for years afterwards.
Safe wall removal and propping in New Cross
Before a single brick comes out, we install temporary propping on both sides of the wall, supporting the joists above through Acrow props and strongboys bearing onto proper needles. In an occupied New Cross terrace this staged approach matters, because the family upstairs is carried safely at every point while we demolish. We take the masonry down in controlled sections rather than pulling a wall out in one go.
Many New Cross homes share a party wall with the neighbour, since the dividing wall and the chimney stack often sit astride the boundary. Where that is the case the Party Wall Act applies, and we help you serve the correct notices before work starts. Building control inspects the beam and its bearings, and we book those inspections so your steel is signed off and recorded on completion.
- 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
Trusted RSJ and Steel Beam Installation in New Cross
New Cross homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat structural work as structural work. One team handles the engineer's calculations, the propping, the steel, the padstones and the building control sign-off, plus any party wall notices where the wall is shared. Over 30 years across Lewisham means we understand exactly how these SE14 terraces are built and carry the load.
- 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