GS Renovation carries out structural alterations across London, from new openings and replacement joists to supported spans and underpinning. Working in the Victorian and Edwardian terraces of Islington, Greenwich and Wandsworth for over 30 years, we design each alteration around what the building is actually carrying and sign it off under the Building Regulations.
Structural alterations for London period homes
No two alterations in London's terraced stock are the same. A new opening between a kitchen and a rear closet wing, a wider doorway through the spine wall, replacement joists where a bathroom has been added over the years, or a supported opening onto a side return each place different demands on the structure. We start every project with a structural engineer's survey so the intervention is designed around the real loads, not assumed ones.
The bay-fronted terraces of Camden and Hackney were built with lime mortar, timber floors and solid brick, and they have often been altered before, sometimes badly. Where earlier work has left a lintel undersized or a beam poorly bearing, we put it right as part of the job. Underpinning, where movement or a lowered floor calls for it, is engineered and staged so the existing walls stay supported throughout the works.
Party wall and building control in London
Many alterations in London's terraces touch the party wall shared with the house next door, whether that is cutting a new bearing pocket, installing a beam that lands in the shared masonry or underpinning along the boundary. Where that happens the Party Wall Act applies and notice must be served on the neighbour before work begins. You serve those notices and coordinate with adjoining owners so the schedule stays on track.
Structural alteration is notifiable under the Building Regulations, so building control inspects the work at the critical stages: bearings, beam installation and any underpinning excavation. That is separate from planning permission, which internal structural work does not require. Across Greater London we manage the engineer's design, the party wall procedure and the building control sign-off as one process, and hand over the completion paperwork at the end.
- Load-bearing wall removal and new structural openings
- New door and window openings in solid masonry
- Trial holes to confirm foundation depth and ground conditions
- Drainage diversion and build-over agreements where required
- Wall plate, joist hanger and restraint strap installation
Why Choose GS Renovation in London
GS Renovation gives London homeowners a single team for the whole alteration: engineer-led design where the shared wall is affected, building control inspections and a certified result. After more than 30 years altering terraced and period homes across Greater London, we know how these houses were built, how they have been changed before, and how to put them right.
- Founder-led team with 30+ years of hands-on experience
- The engineer's calculations obtained and worked to on site
- Materials priced at options, so you choose the finish
- Dust screens and floor protection in occupied homes
- Trial holes dug to confirm what is under the building
- Load paths carried properly down to foundations