GS Renovation installs steel beams and RSJs across Romford, where the RM1 streets are lined with 1930s semi-detached and interwar suburban houses on generous plots. With over 30 years of structural work in Havering, we open up these solid, well-built homes safely, sizing every beam to the loads it must carry.
Removing load-bearing walls in Romford semis
The interwar semis around Romford were built with a central spine wall carrying the first floor and roof, so knocking through the ground floor almost always means taking out something structural. We start with a structural engineer, who calculates the beam size and specifies the padstones the steel bears onto, then we confirm the loads before any brick is touched. Nothing is guessed on site, which matters in these substantial 1930s houses.
On the day, we set temporary props to take the weight, carry out staged demolition so the wall comes down in a controlled sequence, and lift the RSJ into position onto its bearings. Havering Council building control inspects the work, checks the padstones and the beam, and signs it off. In the RM1 semis this typically turns two cramped rooms into one open living space.
Party wall steels along Romford boundaries
Because Romford's houses are semi-detached, the wall you share with next door is a party wall, and any beam that bears into it, or work that cuts into it, brings the Party Wall Act into play. We flag this early, help you serve the correct notice on your neighbour, and keep the paperwork straight before the steel goes anywhere near the shared structure. Getting this right avoids disputes and keeps the project moving.
Chimney breasts are the other common steel job in these interwar homes. Removing a breast on the ground or first floor leaves the stack above needing support, so we install a gallows bracket or a beam to carry it, again sized by the engineer and signed off by building control. On the generous plots typical of RM1, we can also prop and beam to suit a later rear extension in the same phase.
- Structural engineer's calculations arranged and followed
- Making good, plastering and finishing around the new steel
- Existing pipework and cabling diverted around the new opening
- Party Wall Act 1996 notices and awards handled
- Concrete and high-density padstones at every bearing
Trusted RSJ and Steel Beam Installation in Romford
Romford homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat steelwork as a structural discipline, not a quick knock-through. The engineer sizes the beam, we prop and demolish in a safe sequence, and Havering building control signs it off. With 30+ years across RM1 and the surrounding interwar semis, we coordinate the work around the party wall award and the finish under one accountable team.
- Structural engineer instructed and coordinated on your behalf
- Fully insured, with cover in place on every site
- Beams boxed and fire protected to the approved detail
- Honest updates if a date or a detail has to move
- Making good and plastering priced in, not treated as an extra
- High-density concrete padstones bedded at every bearing