GS Renovation installs steel beams and RSJs throughout Streatham, where bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces line the SW16 streets. With over 30 years of structural building across Lambeth, we open up these period homes safely, removing load-bearing walls and carrying the loads onto correctly sized steel and solid padstones.
Removing load-bearing walls in Streatham terraces
The typical SW16 terrace has a solid brick wall between the front bay reception and the middle room, and another where the rear closet wing meets the main house. Both are usually load-bearing. Before any demolition we have a structural engineer size the beam to the loads above, then we install temporary props to take the weight while the old brickwork comes down in a controlled, staged sequence.
The new RSJ bears onto concrete or engineered padstones spread across the remaining masonry, so the point loads transfer safely into the wall. We check the bearings, pack and pin the steel, then make good before the props come out. Every beam in Streatham is signed off by Lambeth building control, giving you documented proof the structure is sound for the future.
Party wall steel and shared walls in Streatham
Streatham terraces share a party wall with the neighbours on each side, and chimney breasts and dividing walls often sit within that shared structure. Where a beam bears into or cuts into a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies. We flag this early so you can serve the correct notices on adjoining owners well before work starts, avoiding disputes and delays.
Cutting a beam pocket into a party wall demands care, because you are working within masonry your neighbour relies on too. We prop from both sides where needed, form clean bearings and keep the neighbouring wall stable throughout. Good notice, tidy method and clear communication with adjoining owners keep these SW16 projects running smoothly from first prop to final sign-off.
Living with a beam afterwards
A steel beam changes a few practical things once you are using the room. You cannot fix into it with an ordinary plug, so if you want a curtain track, a projector or a bank of shelves near the beam line, say so before it is boxed in and we will build timber grounds into the casing to fix to. Retro fitting that later means opening the boxing back up and redecorating.
Expect a little hairline cracking at the junctions during the first year. Plaster shrinks and a new opening settles slightly, so a fine crack along the casing is normal rather than a fault and gets filled at the first redecoration. What is not normal is a crack that widens, or one appearing in masonry above the beam. That is worth telling us about, and it is one reason we hand over the engineer's drawing. Decorating is best left a few weeks after the props come out, so the opening has settled before the first coat goes on.
- Steel delivered cut, drilled and primed to the engineer's schedule
- Access and lifting plans for restricted London sites
- Load-bearing wall removal and knock-throughs
- Structural openings for open-plan living
- RSJ and structural steel beam installation
Trusted RSJ and Steel Beam Installation in Streatham
Streatham homeowners choose GS Renovation because we treat steelwork as the structural heart of the job, not an afterthought. We coordinate the engineer, propping, padstones and Lambeth building control, and we coordinate the work around the party wall award for shared walls. Thirty years across SW16 means we know how these terraces are built and how to open them up safely.
- Paperwork and certificates handed over for when you sell
- Building control inspected at the propping and beam stages
- Aftercare and snagging support once the job is finished
- High-density concrete padstones bedded at every bearing
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople
- Structural engineer instructed and coordinated on your behalf