GS Renovation installs RSJs and steel beams across Shepherd's Bush, where W12 is dominated by bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces with rear closet wings and side returns. With over 30 years of structural work in Hammersmith and Fulham, we remove load-bearing walls safely, from homes near Westfield London to the streets running down towards the River Thames.
Removing load-bearing walls in Shepherd's Bush
The dividing wall between the front and rear reception rooms in a W12 terrace is almost always load-bearing, carrying floor joists and often a chimney breast above. Before any demolition, we have a structural engineer calculate and specify the correct steel, whether that is a single RSJ or a goalpost frame. We then set up temporary propping, take the wall down in careful stages and lower the beam into position without disturbing the floors overhead.
Each end of the beam has to bear onto a properly sized padstone, spreading the load into the solid brickwork these terraces are built from. Because the front-to-back wall in a Shepherd's Bush terrace frequently sits on the boundary with next door, the work often falls under the Party Wall Act, so notices must be served on neighbours first. Once the steel is in, building control inspects the installation and issues the completion certificate you will need.
Chimney breast steels across Shepherd's Bush
Homeowners in Shepherd's Bush often want a chimney breast taken out to reclaim space in a narrow bedroom or reception. Removing the breast on the ground and first floors leaves the stack above needing support, which we provide with a gallows bracket or, more commonly on party walls, a steel beam. Where the chimney is built into the shared wall with the adjoining house, the Party Wall Act applies and the neighbour's stack must stay properly supported throughout.
We also handle the larger structural openings that come with side-return and rear extensions, where several beams may connect to form a frame supporting the existing rear wall and the new roof. Every steel is sized to the engineer's drawings, seated on padstones and signed off by Hammersmith and Fulham building control. Throughout the job we keep your home weathertight and clean, propping and sequencing the work so that the property stays safe and stable at every stage.
- Structural openings for open-plan living
- Structural engineer calculations and beam sizing
- Building control applications and sign-off
- Temporary propping and safe demolition
- Padstones, steel columns and beam connections
Why Choose GS Renovation in Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat structural work as our core trade, not a sideline. Over 30 years in Hammersmith and Fulham has taught us how W12 terraces are built, how their party walls behave and how to satisfy building control first time. One team manages the engineer, the propping, the steel and the neighbour notices, so the job is safe, compliant and finished cleanly.
- 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