Structural Alterations in Preston, Lancashire and the North West

How do I know if a wall is load bearing?

You cannot always tell by looking. Load bearing walls often run at right angles to the floor joists above, sit under another wall on the floor above, or carry the roof. Solid brick or block walls are more likely to be structural than stud walls, but some stud walls carry loads too. A structural engineer confirms what a wall is doing before any work is planned.

How is a load bearing wall removed safely?

1. A structural engineer designs the replacement support, usually a steel beam, and the bearings at each end.
2. The calculations go to building control for approval before work starts.
3. The floors and walls above are propped with temporary supports.
4. The wall is taken out and the steel is lifted into place onto padstones or new supports that carry the load down to the foundations.
5. Building control inspect the steel and its bearings.
6. The steel is given fire protection where required, usually by boxing it in with plasterboard, and the walls, ceilings and floors are made good.

Timescales depend on the size and type of project and are confirmed in your written quote.

What is an RSJ or steel beam?

RSJ stands for rolled steel joist, and people use it for most steel beams in houses. The engineer chooses the size and type of steel from the span and the load it carries. It sits on padstones, which are solid blocks that spread the weight into the wall below, or on new posts or piers where the wall cannot take the load.

What happens to the ceilings and floors afterwards?

The steel is usually boxed in with plasterboard, or set up into the ceiling so the finished ceiling is flat. Where the wall came out, the floor and the ceiling are patched and levelled so the two rooms read as one. This making good is part of the job and should be clear in the quote.

Do structural alterations need approval?

Yes. Any work that changes how the house carries its load, including removing or altering load bearing walls, fitting steels and removing chimney breasts, needs building regulations approval. Planning permission is not usually needed for internal work, unless the house is listed. If a steel is set into a wall you share with a neighbour, or a shared chimney breast is removed, you usually need to serve notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

When the work is signed off, building control issue a completion certificate. Keep it with the engineer's calculations, because a buyer's solicitor will ask for them.

Can I remove a chimney breast?

Usually, yes. The key point is that whatever is left above, such as the breast upstairs or the stack in the roof, must be properly supported, normally on a steel beam designed by a structural engineer. Removing a chimney breast without support is dangerous and is one of the problems surveyors look for when a house is sold. The work needs building regulations approval.

Does opening up a room affect fire safety?

It can. In a house with a loft conversion or three or more storeys, the stairs and hallway usually form a protected escape route, closed off by fire doors. Removing the wall between the hallway and a living room can break that route, so the design has to include another way of meeting the fire rules. Building control will check this as part of the approval.

What structural work goes with other projects?

Structural work is often part of a bigger job. Rear extensions usually need a steel where the back wall of the house is opened up. Loft conversions usually need steels to carry the new floor and roof. Doing the structural work as part of the same project means one design, one engineer and one building control application. See our extensions and loft conversions guides.

Should I tell my insurer?

Yes, it is sensible to tell your home insurer before structural work starts. We are fully insured, and at the end you will have the engineer's calculations and the building control completion certificate for your records.

What affects the cost of structural work?

• The span and the load the new beam carries
• The size of steel the engineer specifies
• Access and temporary support
• Fire protection and making good afterwards

After a site visit we give you a written, fixed price quote, so the price is agreed before work starts.

Why choose Introspec Construction?

Introspec Construction is a builder based in Preston, Lancashire. The team has more than 100 years of combined experience. We are fully insured, and every job is priced with a fixed price quote.