GS Renovation installs RSJs and steel beams throughout New Malden, where the 1930s semi-detached and interwar houses of KT3 rely on internal load-bearing walls to carry the floors above. With over 30 years of structural experience across Kingston upon Thames, we open up these homes safely, from engineer's calculations to building control sign-off.
Removing load-bearing walls in New Malden semis
The wall between the front and rear reception rooms of a New Malden interwar semi is almost always load-bearing, carrying floor joists and often part of the chimney breast above. Before any steel goes in, we commission a structural engineer to size the RSJ, specify the padstones it bears onto and confirm the temporary propping needed while the wall comes down in safe, staged sections.
Because these houses were built in pairs on generous plots, the dividing wall with your neighbour is a shared party wall, so beam bearings and chimney breast work often trigger the Party Wall Act. You serve the correct notices, coordinate propping so the structure is never unsupported, and keep the KT3 home stable throughout the demolition and installation.
Padstones, propping and sign-off in KT3
Every steel we fit lands on a properly designed bearing. The engineer calculates the padstone size so the concentrated load from the RSJ spreads safely into the interwar brickwork, which on New Malden homes is usually solid or early cavity construction. We build in the padstones, seat and level the beam, then pack and pin the wall above so the floors settle back onto the new steel without cracking the plaster.
Kingston Council building control inspects the works at key stages, and we book those inspections so the beam is checked before it is boxed in. You receive the completion certificate that confirms the structural alteration meets the Building Regulations, which matters when you eventually sell your KT3 property and a buyer's solicitor asks for the paperwork.
Who turns up, and on which day
A steel beam is not a one-trade job, and knowing who is coming makes it far easier to live with. In a New Malden semi the first days are our own team, protecting the house, isolating services and setting up propping. An electrician and a plumber follow to divert anything in the wall, then the demolition and the steelwork are ours again, with a delivery slot booked for the beam itself. Access for the beam is booked in advance, because a steel delivery cannot simply be left on the pavement.
After building control has seen the bearings, the plasterer works on the opening and the ceiling line, and the decorator comes last once everything has dried. All of it is coordinated by us, so you have one number to call rather than chasing separate trades. We tell you at the start which days are noisy, which days need the water off, and which days nobody is on site because something is curing.
- Steel columns, base plates and bolted connections
- Party Wall Act 1996 notices and awards handled
- RSJ and structural steel beam installation
- Access and lifting plans for restricted London sites
- Temporary propping and staged, controlled demolition
Why Choose GS Renovation in New Malden
New Malden homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat steelwork as structural engineering, not guesswork. One team manages the engineer's design your semi requires, the temporary propping and the building control inspections. With 30+ years across Kingston upon Thames, we open up interwar homes cleanly and hand you the certificates that prove it was done right.
- Steel sized to the engineer's design, never guessed on site
- Party Wall Act notices served where a beam bears into a shared wall
- Free follow-up visit after completion if anything needs attention
- One point of contact on the phone, not a call centre
- Our own trades on site rather than a chain of subcontractors
- Restricted London access planned before the steel arrives