GS Renovation installs RSJs and steel beams across Peckham, from the bay-fronted Victorian terraces near Peckham Rye to the converted period homes off the SE15 side streets. With more than 30 years of structural experience in Southwark, we remove load-bearing walls safely, sizing every beam by a structural engineer and signing the work off with building control.
Removing load-bearing walls in Peckham terraces
The wall between the front and middle reception in a Peckham terrace is usually load-bearing, carrying the floor above and often the chimney stack. Before anything comes down, our structural engineer sizes a steel beam to suit the span and the loads, and specifies padstones for the beam to bear onto. We then set up temporary propping, expose the wall in stages and carry out a controlled, safe demolition.
Working in SE15 means dealing with solid brick walls, timber floor joists and the occasional surprise behind old plaster. We lift the new RSJ into position, seat it on the padstones and pin everything back before the props come out. Building control inspects the beam and its bearings, and we handle that inspection so you have proper sign-off on the finished structure.
Party wall notices on Peckham steel projects
Many Peckham terraces share their dividing walls and chimney breasts with the house next door, so cutting a beam pocket into that party wall brings the Party Wall Act into play. We flag this early, explain which notices apply and give you time to serve them on your neighbours before work starts. Getting this right avoids disputes and keeps a shared SE15 wall on the right side of the law.
Where a beam bears into a party wall, the engineer specifies the bearing and padstone so the neighbour's side is not put at risk. We coordinate the propping, the pockets and the making good, then arrange building control inspection of the completed steelwork. Homeowners across Peckham and neighbouring Camberwell rely on us to manage both the structural and the party wall side without loose ends.
If an old beam has no paperwork
A good number of Peckham houses already contain steel from an earlier alteration with nothing on file to show for it. That comes to light during a sale, or when we open a wall up for new work. There are two routes from there. A regularisation application asks Southwark to inspect and certify work carried out without approval, which usually means exposing the bearings again so that they can be properly seen. Neither route is fast, so it is far better to raise it when you buy the house than when you come to sell it.
The alternative many solicitors reach for is an indemnity policy, which insures against enforcement but proves nothing about whether the beam is adequate. That is a conveyancing fix, not a structural one. Where we find undocumented steel we say so, ask the engineer to assess whether it is doing its job, and let you decide. On our own work the certification is arranged as we go, so the question never arises for the next owner.
- Steel columns, base plates and bolted connections
- Building control applications and inspection sign-off
- Bearing checks into party walls and shared masonry
- Making good, plastering and finishing around the new steel
- RSJ and structural steel beam installation
Why Choose GS Renovation in Peckham
Peckham homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat steelwork as engineering, not guesswork. Beams are sized by a structural engineer, seated on proper padstones and signed off by building control, with temporary propping and staged demolition keeping your period home safe throughout. Backed by 30+ years in Southwark, we also manage party wall notices on shared SE15 walls.
- Restricted London access planned before the steel arrives
- Straight advice on what is and is not worth spending money on
- Building control applications and inspections coordinated for you
- Neighbours given notice before the noisy stages
- Party Wall Act notices served where a beam bears into a shared wall
- Materials priced at options, so you choose the finish