From new openings to replacement joists and underpinning, GS Renovation carries out structural alterations across Barnet's interwar housing, from the semis of Edgware and Golders Green to the larger homes near Hadley Common. With 30+ years working in EN4, EN5, N2 and NW11, we design and build supported openings that meet the Building Regulations.
Supported openings and joists in Barnet homes
Interwar Barnet houses were built with timber floor joists spanning between the external and spine walls, and after decades of altered layouts and past extensions those joists are not always where you would expect. When we form a new opening or widen an existing one, the engineer checks the floor above, specifies any replacement or doubled-up joists, and sizes the beam that will carry the wall and floor loads across the new span.
Every supported opening follows the same discipline: temporary props take the load, the masonry is removed in stages, and a steel beam is set onto padstones at each end before the props come out. Whether it is a wider doorway between two reception rooms in a Finchley semi or a structural opening for a rear extension in NW7, the bearings are designed to spread the load safely into the walls that remain.
Underpinning and building control in Barnet
Some Barnet homes on the borough's heavier clay soils show movement at the corners, and where an engineer confirms inadequate foundations we underpin in sequenced bays, excavating and filling one short section at a time so the wall is never left unsupported. This is structural work notifiable under the Building Regulations, and Barnet Council's building control inspects each stage rather than any planning department signing it off.
Because internal structural alterations are a building-control matter, not a planning one, there is usually no planning application unless you are altering the exterior of a home in a conservation area such as Hampstead Garden Suburb. Where an alteration affects a party wall shared with a neighbour, the Party Wall Act applies and we serve the notices first. We coordinate the engineer, the notices and the inspections in one programme.
- Structural surveys and engineer coordination
- Temporary works, propping and needling
- Building control applications and certification
- Steel beam and RSJ installation
- Load-bearing wall removal and new openings
Why Barnet Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
GS Renovation is a single accountable team for structural alterations in Barnet: the engineer designs the openings, joists or underpinning, we handle party wall notices and Barnet Council building control, and our own trades carry out the work. Expect proper propping, correctly sized steel on padstones, tidy working in your home, and 30+ years across the borough's interwar houses.
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Over 30 years of experience
- Dedicated project management
- Fully insured and guaranteed work
- Building control and planning support
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople